Helsinki, Finland 07 April 2016 -- Finnpulp has submitted the environmental and water permit application to the Regional State Administrative Agency of Eastern Finland regarding the construction of bioproduction mill in Sorsasalo, Kuopio. The application is based on the information gained from the environmental impact assessment process that was completed in December and a number of additional studies performed in early 2016.

The bioproduction facility consists of sulphate pulp mill, a bark-drying and gasification unit, a power plant and a wastewater treatment plant. The wastewater treatment plant will also be used to treat wastewaters from the Savon Sellu Oy fluting mill and the leachate from Ekokem-Palvelu Oy. During the project, environmental permit applications for a biogas facility and a biocoal facility will also be submitted. The permit application concerns activities and emissions during operation. A permit application in compliance with the Water Act for taking water for the facility from Virtasalmi in Kallavesi, placing and building the water collection and discharge pipes in Kallavesi and filling a water area will also be submitted simultaneously.

Finnpulp estimates that the permit procedure by authorities will be completed and the permit decision published by early fall.

The environmental permit application will be subjected to public consultation by the Regional State Administrative Agency of Eastern Finland.

If implemented, the Finnpulp project would be the largest softwood pulp mill in the world. The employment effect of the 1.4 billion euro facility investment in the project phase is 5,700 full-time work years. The immediate employment effect of the completed bioproduction facility equals 1,500 people in North Savo and 3,400 people in the national value chain. 200 people will work in the facility area. The annual production capacity of the facility will be 1.2 million tons of pulp. Additionally, the facility will produce 60,000 tons of tall oil and one terawatt hour (TWh) of bioelectricity for the national electricity grid. The facility will use 6.7 million cubic metres of raw wood material per year.