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AV Nackawic upgrades power boiler, bleach plant

NACKAWIC, N.B.– A federal government investment of $2.37 million will support clean energy production and environmental improvements at the AV Nackawic pulp mill in Nackawic, N.B., under the auspices of the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program (PPGTP).

AV Nackawic Inc. is one of 24 pulp and paper companies across Canada that qualified for credits under the $1-billion program based on their 2009 production levels of black liquor.

This 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.

A 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 Shankar Ray, president and CEO of AV Nackawic Inc. “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.”