Linde to construct oxygen plant in Finland

Linde today (7th Dec) said it will construct an oxygen plant based on VPSA (vacuum pressure swing adsorption) in Finland for bioproduct and energy producer Metsä Fiber.

Set to be located at Metsä Fiber’s new bioproduct factory in Kemi, the two companies have signed a preliminary agreement on oxygen supply which will see Linde construct, operate and maintain the plant.

Linde said the facility, which will be fully automated and monitored and operated from Linde’s remote control centre in Avesta, Sweden, will be one of the world’s largest oxygen plants based on VPSA technology.

“We have worked with Linde for a long time and have full confidence in Linde’s applications and technology, for example we have very positive experiences of Linde’s VPSA technology and of on-site oxygen supply to our facility in Äänekoski with high efficiency and operational reliability,” Jari-Pekka Johansson, Project Director of Metsä Fiber.

“Oxygen is an important chemical in pulp production and a continuous supply of oxygen is of paramount importance for the production process, product quality and reliability.”

Marika Kärki, Regional Account Manager On Site, Linde, added, “Oxygen produced on site is the most efficient way to deliver large quantities of gases for industrial processes, and our solution meets the high environmental, material and energy efficiency goals for Kemi’s bioproduct factory.”

The total investment in the new bioproduct factory is estimated at €1.5bn and it will produce approximately 1.5 million tonnes of softwood and hardwood pulp per year, as well as many other bioproducts.

The bioproduct factory will not use fossil fuels at all, and its self-sufficiency rate for electricity will be 250%.