Mill Director Matti Lielahti, what is key to your achievement?
The trick is combining big and small steps: we make technical breakthroughs with major investments, and at the same time, we improve our processes daily with smaller-scale action. Our mindset is of crucial importance here: we think constantly where we can improve and turn over every stone to achieve our goals.
Heini Kukkonen, Environment and Quality Manager, what major environmental investments have you made recently?
We have invested both in wastewater treatment and in reducing air emissions.
In 2020, we added a tertiary treatment to our biological wastewater treatment process to control and minimise spills during disruptions. Before this investment, a single disruption could easily double annual emissions.
We’re adding final touches to a modernisation of our power plant’s main boiler. The modernised boiler will reduce air emissions with its more efficient cleaning technology for flue gases.
Our processes not only meet current environmental standards but will exceed them.
What is the role of smaller process improvements in good environmental performance?
Smaller, everyday process improvements ensure efficient production and high quality. As such, they have a marked effect on our environmental performance, contributing to reduced waste and subsequent savings on energy and materials. Production efficiency and environmental efficiency go hand in hand.
Matti Lielahti, how do environmental improvements contribute to competitiveness?
The boiler modernisation will reduce maintenance needs and, as a result, increase production hours.
Our systematic work to improve our processes step by step in the past 10–15 years has reduced our emissions, energy consumption and water consumption. Today we reap the benefits of that work, as we move forward on a competitive basis.
How does good environmental performance provide added value for your customers?
First, the cornerstone of providing added value for our customers is being a responsible supplier. Sustainable values are high on our agenda. Our customers can rely on us to advance constantly and to stay in the loop of continuous improvement.
Second, our good environmental performance ensures smooth production 24/7, which makes us a secure supplier for our customers.
What feedback do you receive from customers?
Customers increasingly bring up sustainability in our contact with them. The message we hear from customers is that they see Stora Enso as a frontline sustainable supplier with sustainability built into its DNA.
The Anjala site turns 150. How do you see the future?
This year we celebrate the 150th anniversary of making history in Anjala. This is a history full of changes and adaptations over time. We are proud of our long history, but we look towards the future and want to further develop our production to be as sustainable as possible.
