M-real scoops Finnish award

A team from Finnish paper producer M-real has been awarded the 2005 Finnish Engineering Award.

The working group was responsible for the development of the energy-efficient and environmentally friendly pulp process Bleached Chemi-ThermoMechanical Pulp (BCTMP).

This development has produced a more cost-effective alternative to the chemical pulp process.

The M-real Joutseno mill in Finland was the first production plant in the world to come on stream using the BCTMP technology.

Joutseno has a production capacity of 250,000 tonnes per year, and produces hardwood BCTMP pulp grades for M-real's paper and board grades.

A second BCTMP mill is being built at Kaskinen in Finland, to come on stream in the autumn of 2006.