Reliability in action: professional spare parts service contributes to successful maintenance shutdown at Metsä Fibre’s Kemi bioproduct mill
An annual shutdown of any mill is like assembling a thousand-piece puzzle. At Metsä Fibre’s Kemi bioproduct mill, this year’s puzzle was again pieced together with precision: planning well beforehand, responsibilities clear, and parts arriving on time. At the heart of the effort was Valmet’s spare parts service – supporting the process from initial negotiations to securing the final bolt.
Metsä Fibre’s Kemi bioproduct mill is the most efficient wood processing mill in the northern hemisphere. Being the largest investment in the history of the Finnish forest industry, the mill was started up in 2023. To keep the mill operating at its best potential, Metsä Fibre runs a detailed maintenance program including daily maintenance, regular inspections and annual shutdowns.
“Overall, maintenance plays a very significant role in the operation of a modern pulp mill – our priority is to keep the mill in perfect shape for maximized uptime. In addition to having a good preventive maintenance plan in place and skilled workforce on site, the availability of spare parts plays a key role in our maintenance operations success,” says Marko Aalto, Maintenance Manager at Metsä Fibre Kemi mill.
On-site support gives peace of mind
The Kemi mill’s latest annual shutdown took place in June 2025. To execute all planned maintenance activities in the given timeframe, the shutdown needs to be planned and scheduled carefully.
Besides supporting the customer with selected field service resources, Valmet supplied most of the critical spare parts needed during the shutdown. Additionally, Valmet’s Spare Parts Expert Auli Puromäki ensured that correct parts were ordered and delivered on time, supported maintenance staff in locating the components, and catalogued excess parts for storage and further use.
“Valmet’s support was much appreciated and having Auli on site before and during the shutdown was extremely important. We knew that all the spare parts were in place when we started and could rely on Valmet’s support all the way,” Marko Aalto says.
Henri Kivelä, Reliability Planner at Metsä Fibre Kemi, says that the flexibility and responsiveness of Valmet’s service was, in fact, tested in real-life situations during the annual shutdown.
“Despite careful planning, there are always surprises during an annual shutdown, requiring problem-solving and quick actions – and this year’s shutdown was no exception. We are grateful for the opportunity to discuss any issues face to face, and for the fact that Valmet was able to deliver the extra parts without delay,” Henri Kivelä says.
Successful spare parts management is about continuous improvement
Valmet is the original manufacturer of most of the Kemi bioproduct mill’s equipment and therefore considered a strategic partner when it comes to providing technological support and spare parts. Nevertheless, there is always room for improvement.
“We are still a relatively young operational unit and continuously learn about the lifetime of many of the consumables and spare parts” Henri Kivelä says.
“Valmet’s support was much appreciated and having Auli on site before and during the shutdown was extremely important. We knew that all the spare parts were in place when we started and could rely on Valmet’s support all the way.”
