Södra Inaugurates Expanded Värö Pulp Mill in Sweden

Södra, Sweden, this past week officially inaugurated its new pulp mill at Värö, Sweden. The company is investing a total of SEK 6 billion ($700 million) to expand for the future, with some SEK 4 billion ($466 million) invested in the Värö pulp mill. The now completed expansion at Värö boosts production from 425,000 metric tpy to 700,000 metric tpy, making it one of the world’s largest, most modern, and energy-efficient mills for the production of softwood kraft pulp.

Lars Idermark, president and CEO of Södra, said that "the expansion is an important part of our strategy and a necessary move if we are to develop our operations. The paper pulp market is growing globally, and we will now have the opportunity to meet this demand and to continue growing together with our customers.

"We already deliver high-quality pulp to several different customer segments, which we will now be able to develop even further. This expansion will allow us to further strengthen our market-leading position and remain our customers' preferred supplier," Idermark added.

Gunilla Saltin, business area president of Södra Cell, pointed out that "the forests owned by Södra’s members provide the company with a stable, sustainable source of fiber which Södra intends to develop to the full to keep pace with customers’ increasing demands. In the short term, the focus is on making sure the startup tonnage is brought up to premium quality as smoothly and quickly as possible." 

 

Södra operates three primarily softwood pulp mills in Sweden, at Mörrum, Mönsterås, and Värö, with a combined capacity of 1.6 million metric tpy.