The federal government has invested in two capital improvement projects at the pulp mill in Nackawic, New Brunswick. On July 28, Tobique-Mactaquac MP Mike Allen announced $2.37 million for AV Nackawic Incorporated would be delivered through the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program (PPGTP).
The funding will support upgrades that will reduce the mill’s water and energy consumption by recycling filtrate within the bleach plant process. As a result, the mill will reduce the amount of chemicals used in the pulping process and decrease the amount of water consumed.
The second project consists of the installation of equipment that will grind wood pieces for more efficient combustion. The ability to process more wood, along with upgrades to the power boiler’s combustion system, will increase the mill’s annual production of renewable energy by 12,039 gigajoules per year. By generating more renewable energy, the mill will displace a portion of the fossil fuel it currently uses to generate steam and lower its greenhouse gas emissions by 6,254 tonnes per year, as well as reduce its consumption of fresh water.
“Energy consumption and cost have been key focus areas for AV Nackawic for a number of years,” said AV Nackawic Inc. President and CEO Shankar Ray. “With smart investment programs such as the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation we are able to finance projects that will decrease our production cost and our environmental footprint.”
AV Nackawic Inc. is one of 24 pulp and paper companies across Canada that qualified for credits under the $1-billion PPGTP program based on their 2009 production levels of black liquor, a liquid by-product of the pulping process used to generate heat and power.
