Metsä Spring begins pre-engineering project for wood fiber packaging products

11 Apr 2024 --- Metsä Group is setting up a pre-engineering project for a commercial-scale factory to produce its innovation company Metsä Spring’s new packaging solution called Muoto. Currently in demonstration, Muoto products are wood-based alternatives to plastic packaging that can be utilized in takeaway, tray and combo packaging.

“Taking an idea to an industrial scale is a long road with multiple phases. Deciding to start the pre-engineering project is a big milestone for us,” says Niklas von Weymarn, CEO at Metsä Spring.

“Although many areas still need further development, we have gathered enough proof to initiate this important factory planning stage. The Muoto project has reached this point very quickly, considering that the project started almost from scratch for us in 2020. A big thank you goes to our project team and our main partner, Valmet.”

Metsä expects to complete the pre-engineering phase in early 2025 and aims to secure the factory planning to consider investment. 

While the company has decided that the possible factory would be located at its Rauma site in Finland (based on the outcome of pre-engineering and the continued work in the demo phase, mainly using a demo plant in Äänekoski, Finland), it will assess the possibility of starting this new business and investing in a factory based on the pre-engineering results. 

Wood-based plastic alternative
The technology applied in Muoto products converts wet wood pulp into 3D packages without any intermediate steps. The products are said to have a lower carbon footprint and are easy to mold into different shapes. 

The final Muoto product catalog will be decided when the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation has been finalized.“The first usage cases ready for mass production will likely be light takeaway and lunch packages, berry containers, trays and combo packaging. The final Muoto product catalog will be decided when the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation has been finalized,” details the company.

Earlier in the year, Metsä Spring appointed Veli-Pekka Kyllönen as project director, who will lead the pre-engineering project. 

The innovations company has been investing in start-ups and new technologies. In October last year, it led a €2 million (US$2.1 million) pre-A funding round for Boreal Bioproducts for forest byproduct conversion into high-value, natural biochemicals.

Metsä Spring also led a €1 million (US$1.090 million) seed funding round in Swedish start-up FineCell to produce dry cellulose powder and hydrogels for beauty, healthcare and paint products and develop transparent flexible films.

Finnish start-up Fiberwood raised €3 million (US$3.23 million) last year in late seed funding led by Metsä Spring for its 100% ecological wood fiber insulation and packaging materials made from mechanical wood industry side streams.

As the company looks to build a commercial factory for Muoto starting in 2025, recruitment is now ongoing for experts to help Kyllönen set up the project. 

Edited by Radhika Sikaria