Metsä Group's tissue paper business, Metsä Tissue, has submitted a full planning application to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council for its proposed new tissue paper mill in Goole.

If approved, the planned tissue paper mill would be capable of producing 240,000 tonnes of fresh fibre-based tissue paper per year once fully operational. This represents about one-fifth of the current tissue volume in the UK. It would create more than 400 jobs at the facility, as well as thousands more across the supply chain and the local economy.

Around 40% of the tissue in UK and Ireland is currently imported. By increasing the level of local production in the UK, the completed project would help the UK increase self-sufficiency to around 85% whilst reducing the amount of transportation on UK roads.

Engaging with the local community and other stakeholders has been a priority for Metsä Tissue to ensure that the proposals would be of the greatest benefit to the local community and have the smallest negative impact on the local environment. As part of the planning process, Metsä Tissue has held two public consultations, in March and November 2024, to give the public the opportunity to scrutinise the plans and to offer feedback on the designs. Feedback from people with local knowledge has been important in shaping the final design of the proposed tissue paper mill.

Mika Paljakka, Metsä Tissue's SVP UK&I, said:

"Our Technical Director's team of planners, architects, technical designers, specialists and project managers, has meticulously examined the details of the planned tissue paper mill and consulted public bodies. They have delivered plans for a new state-of-the-art tissue paper mill capable of world-class local tissue paper production in the UK."

Falling under Metsä Tissue's strategic Future Mill programme, the planned mill in Goole would use cutting-edge production technologies to deliver an efficient and modern facility with an outstanding environmental performance.

Metsä Tissue is investing in the latest technologies in its tissue paper mills across Europe to improve environmental and operational efficiencies. Its ambition is for fossil-free production and offering by 2030.