In Finland, liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer and distributor Skangas has announced that it has entered an agreement with Metsä Tissue Oy, a subsidiary of compatriot forest products major Metsä Group for the supply of LNG to the Mänttä tissue paper mill. LNG will replace liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the paper drying process at the mill and the fuel switch from will improve competitiveness and cut the company’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
The LNG will be delivered to the Mänttä mill by road tanker from the Skangas Pori LNG terminal. Before being used, LNG will be regasified at the mill. In cooperation with the Technical Services of its parent company, Gasum Oyj, Skangas will carry out the modification and equipment installation work relating to the fuel change.
We’re aiming to constantly improve the mill’s environmental performance. LNG will reduce carbon dioxide emissions from our production, which was the decisive factor in our decision to make the switch. We celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Mänttä mill in September. We’re developing our operations so that we’ll be producing tissue and cooking papers sustainably in the future, too, said Kari Karttunen, Mill Manager, Metsä Tissue Mänttä.
The Metsä Tissue Mänttä mill produces toilet tissues, household towels, handkerchiefs, industrial rolls and greaseproof paper for baking and cooking products. The mill has three tissue paper machines, one greaseproof paper machine and 11 converting lines for tissue paper.
LNG can be used to replace the use of petroleum-based fuels in industry, energy production, and heavy-duty road transport. According to Skangas, using LNG instead of oil helps achieve significant cuts in particulate matter (PM) as well as sulphur dioxide (SOx), carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
The use of LNG also enables a switch to liquefied biogas (LBG) without any additional investments. LNG meets the requirements set by the Sulphur Directive regulating shipping emissions as well as the stricter emission limits to be applied in the future.
It’s great that Metsä Tissue switches to cleaner energy and at the same time the Finnish LNG market grows. LNG is an excellent alternative as a fuel for the various paper industry processes and also for energy production, remarked Kimmo Rahkamo, CEO, Skangas.
