April 3, 2024
(press release)
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Finland’s Supreme Administrative Court has today declined to hear the remaining appeals that were filed against the Regional State Administrative Agency’s July 2020 decision to approve KaiCell Fibers Ltd’s environmental permit application for a 600,000 mt softwood pulp mill in Paltamo. The lower court’s decision, endorsing the permit with minor modifications, is thus upheld and the permit is valid. KaiCell CEO Hannu Heikkinen comments: “Considering the really strong local support our project enjoys, and the substantial economic benefits the mill would bring to the whole Kainuu region, it has been frustrating to go through such a long legal process despite having met all requirements set by Finland’s stringent environmental regulatory framework, and been approved by the responsible state authority. On the positive side, the delay has highlighted that Paltamo is indeed an optimal location for our mill, both in terms of Finland’s post-Ukraine-war fibre balance, and rare worldwide opportunities to build new capacity. We are also more convinced that ever that global demand for Nordic softwood pulp will remain on an upward trajectory, making a low cost producer like KaiCell very profitable.” Board Chairman Eero Suutari on the way forward:“Having deliberately kept spending down during the permit process, we are in solid financial shape and can proceed in an orderly and focused manner to negotiate such corporate partnerships and finance arrangements required to make the Paltamo mill a reality.”
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