Paper giant Stora Enso has put its Hylte newsprint mill and three others up for sale as part of a strategy which identifies paper as “not a strategic growth areas”.

Four of its five mills – producing a total of 1.7 million tonnes of printing and communication papers worth 1.7 billion Euros and employing 2200 staff – may be sold.

As well as Hylte (pictured) in Sweden – which produces 240,000 tonnes of standard newsprint a year – the Anjala (Finland) mill produces 435,000 tonnes of book paper and improved newsprint is also up for sale, along with Maxau in Germany (530,000 tonnes SC magazine papers) and Nymolla in Sweden (475,000 tonnes of uncoated woodfree).

President and chief executive Annica Bresky says divesting most of its paper assets will allow Stora to increase focus on renewable packaging, building solutions and biomaterials innovations.

“When assessing potential divestment options, we look for new ownership that will provide a sustainable long-term future for the sites and the people that work there.”

Stora Enso says it will run the four sites until they are sold, with offers taken for individual mills, or all four. There is no deadline.

The Langerbrugge site in Belgium, which makes magazine papers from recycled cardboard cups, is to be retained within the group.