Where a paper mill producing 50,000 metric tons of pulp and/or paper per year was regarded medium-sized some fourty years ago, that quantity is today far below the lever where the production can be made cost efficient and competetive. And where the first generation of cellulose based mills limited to a capacity less than 10,000 tons died one by one from the 1930s and onwards, mills with less than 100,000 tons capacity began to disappear around 1965 and onwards. With increasing environmental standards and steeply increasing energy prices, production has gradually moved to fewer but substantially larger units. Today, modern mills heavily rely on regenerating boilers and a more or less closed-loop for process water and chemicals - a blessing for the environment for sure and from an economical point of view as well - given that the owners were willing to take the heavy investments needed.

Further, today's mega-plants with capacities north of 1M tons typically rely heavily on exports, which for bulk products like paper and pulp means sea freight. Being located inland means a big competetive disadvantage. An additional parameter in understanding why so many small- and medium sized mills have disappeared in inland locations the last thirty years.

A new wave of closures, not only in Sweden and Scandinavia will most likely be seen in the years to come where mills even at 250,000 tons capacity and up, even if located by the coast, will inevitably have to go.

This mill produced around 70,000 tons in 1970 but is today nothing but a giant ruin - a really spectacular and chaotic one, littered with asbestos and an amazing amount of equipment and left over stuff. What really puzzles me is that it seems like everything was left when the site was closed - no cleanup whatsoever. One of the worst abandoned places I've ever seen...
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