The CEO of Sask Power and the general manager of Prince Albert Pulp have announced that the two companies intend to have the co-generation power facility at the local pulp mill providing power onto the grid by late May, the Prince Albert Herald reports.
Dale Paterson, general manager of Prince Albert Pulp, told the newspaper, "We started in September and we're about halfway there now. Five million dollars has been spent on the project (so far) and another $5 million will be spent (in the coming months)."
Paterson explained that the mill's biomass boiler and a power turbine will be producing the power generated at the mill.
The power will be used to operate the mill, with the excess sold to Sask Power. Producing the energy is integral to getting the mill ready to produce dissolving pulp, the paper reports. The energy produced on-site will provide heat for construction crews working on the dissolving pulp conversion. The pulp mill is expected to be operational in 2013.
Located in Prince Albert, Sask., the pulp mill was shut down in 2006 by Domtar. It was sold in 2011 to Paper Excellence.