UPM, the Finnish owner of the Shotton paper mill in Deesside, has announced that it’s putting the operation up for sale.
The paper mill, which specialises in newsprint employs 190 staff.
It is part of a wider “restructuring and streamlining” of the UPM group, which will result in annual cost savings of €75m.
UPM said that the decision was due to the weakened economic outlook and declining demand for newsprint.
“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,” said Winfried Schaur, Executive Vice President of UPM Communication Paper.
“The paper machine is technically flexible to support conversion especially into containerboard production.”
The current production capacity of the mill is 250 000 tonnes of newsprint and it also has a recollection and recycling facility, de-inking plant, paper machine line and energy infrastructure.
