The federal government is investing $700,000 in Domtar's Espanola mill in northeastern Ontario to improve the pulp and paper maker's environmental performance.
Domtar will receive the funding under the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program (PPGTP) to replace the mill's aerators with more energy-efficient models.
“Investments in projects like this demonstrate our government’s commitment to helping the forestry sector develop greener and more sustainable solutions,” said Christian Paradis, minister of Natural Resources.
“This is a good example of how government investments in energy-efficient technologies are lowering the environmental impact of Canada’s forest industry and establishing the groundwork for a renewed, more competitive sector.”
The new equipment will improve air quality and will require less energy, reducing the mill’s electrical power consumption by 3,500 megawatt hours per year.
“We are pleased to move forward with this important upgrade, which will help us conserve energy,” said Tim Houle, mill manager, in a Nov. 9 statement. “We thank the government of Canada for investing in our industry and in our community.”
Domtar 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. The funding announcement marks the second allotment of PPGTP credits to Domtar Espanola. In June, the mill received $995,000 to install a refurbished wood waste grinder that will allow the mill to process bark more effectively for the production of renewable energy.
