Russia to Build the First New Pulp and Paper Mill in 40-years in the Republic of Karelia

The Russian State Commission for the Development of the Arctic has announced it has approved an investment project for the construction of a new pulp and paper mills (PPM). It will be the first new PPM to be built in Russian in over 40-years. The construction of the new PPM will mark the creation of a new pulp and paper cluster in the region of Republic of Karelia. JSC Segezha PPM, LLC Segezha Upakovka and LLC Segezha West will all be part of the industrial agglomeration. The new PPM will be one of the largest ones in the country and will be producing over 850,000 tons of pulp per year. It is hoped that the new complex will be completed in the next few years.

The project, apart from constructing a new production facility, also includes the modernization and reconstruction of an old Segezha pulp and paper mill, the Segezha PPM JSC. The Segezha PPM JSC is currently the third-largest producer of high-quality kraft paper globally. However, the Segezha Group has plans of increasing the plant’s production even more. The plant’s current capacity is 360,000 tons per year; however, is expected to increase to 420,000 tons after its reconstruction in 2022.