Metsä Group has selected Arup as one of its partners to design its new tissue paper mill in Goole.
With the planned investment Metsä Group’s tissue paper business aims to replace almost half of imported essential tissue products and bring locally produced, sustainable tissue products to the UK, increasing the country’s self-sufficiency in this sector by 30%.
The planned facility will demonstrate the latest in sustainable production technology and will have the capacity to produce 240,000 tons of tissue paper, built in phases over the next decade. Once all necessary planning and permits have been achieved, and the final investment decision made, the completed mill will generate over 400 direct employment opportunities within the facility, along with the creation of thousands more jobs throughout the supply chain and the local economy.
The planned new mill will support Metsä’s sustainability 2030 targets – for all products to be manufactured from fully fossil free raw materials and for all its mills, including the new Goole facility, to operate without the use of fossil fuels by 2030.
Arup supported Metsä Group’s tissue paper business in identifying the proposed location – a 200-acre site in Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire in the Humber region.
Alan Jeffery, Technical Director, UK and Ireland, Metsä Group’s tissue paper business said “Goole is the perfect location for this proposed investment. The Humber region provides a crucial gateway to the whole of the UK and the region’s ambitions to bring cutting-edge green technology and jobs to the UK matches our ambitions in clean, sustainable manufacturing.”
The Humber’s strategic location, industrial capabilities, and innovative businesses position the region well in the UK’s transition towards a green industrial revolution and achieving net zero emissions. Arup provides an integrated approach to decarbonisation and regeneration in the Humber, creating a blueprint approach for the region.
Andy Pennington, Director and Liverpool Office Leader, Arup said: “We are delighted that Metsä Group’s tissue paper business will reap the benefit of Arup’s local knowledge in delivering the planned new facility in Goole, Yorkshire. Working with a forerunner in sustainable bioeconomy and circular economy such as Metsä Tissue aligns well with Arup values and we’re excited to drive forward sustainable development in manufacturing together.”
Arup will provide Civil and Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering and Landscape Architecture services as part of the design team for the planned new facility. Arup’s multi-disciplinary design team supported Metsä’s site search by undertaking site due diligence studies for the shortlisted locations and testing Metsä’s preferred layout masterplan against the constraints of each site.
