UPM to sell its Shotton paper mill

UPM has announced it is put Shotton paper mill up for sale in a move aimed at saving the Finnish based firm over £65m.

In a statement today, UPM said it is selling the mill for ‘conversion purposes’ due to the ongoing decline of ‘newsprint’ the paper used

Around 190 people work at Shotton paper mill, its current production capacity of the mill is 250 000 tonnes of newsprint

The mill assets include the materials recollection and recycling facility, deinking plant, paper machine line and energy infrastructure, as well as established access to the UK, recycled paper market.

“UPM Shotton is well-positioned to serve the UK market. However, we look for outside opportunities for alternative long-term use of the mill as the newsprint consumption continues to decline.

The paper machine is technically flexible to support conversion especially into containerboard production,” says Winfried Schaur, Executive Vice President of UPM Communication Paper.

The move is part of a restructuring programme by UPM which will see the permanent closing of its Kaipola paper mill in Finland and reorganising and streamlining activities in Finnish pulp mills.