The topping out ceremony for the Kemi bioproduct mill of Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, was held today, Wednesday, 18 May 2022. Topping out is a traditional ceremony at construction sites, organised when the roofs have been completed, and the buildings have reached their maximum height. Keynote speeches at the event were given by CEO Ismo Nousiainen, Project Director Jari-Pekka Johansson, Construction Manager Eelon Lappalainen and On-Site Contact Person Mika Vuoti. The Pohjan mieslaulajat choir also performed at the ceremony. Because of coronavirus precautions, the ceremony was held only for the site’s employees, without invited guests present. Several spots for celebrations had been set up around the site, and recordings of the keynote speeches and choir performance were relayed there throughout the event.
During the construction phase, the bioproduct mill’s employment effect is be approximately 10,000 person-years, more than half of which will be seen in Kemi. The total number of employees working during the construction phase is estimated to be about 15,000. The number of people currently working on-site on a daily basis is 1,700.
“We have been promoting the bioproduct mill project as planned, safely and with high quality standards. Today’s topping out ceremony is proof of this. We now have our eyes set on the mill’s safe start-up in the third quarter of 2023. The good cooperation enjoyed by all parties puts us in a good place to successfully complete this large project. The road forward looks good,” says Jari-Pekka Johansson, Project Director.
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