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Fortress considering shift back to paper pulp for Thurso site

Fortress Paper’s chief executive office Chad Wasilenkoff told Canadian Press in early October that the company may temporarily return to producing paper pulp at its dissolving pulp mill in Thurso, Que.

Fortress Paper’s chief executive office Chad Wasilenkoff told Canadian Press in early October that the company may temporarily return to producing paper pulp at its dissolving pulp mill in Thurso, Que.

In a story that appeared on The Gazette website on Oct. 2, Wasilenkoff said 20 to 60% of the output could be converted to paper and unspecified specialty pulp for six to 12 months. “It just happens to be, that right now, we’re looking at it from an opportunistic potential.”

Dissolving pulp prices have fallen since the Thurso mill was converted from hardwood kraft to dissolving pulp production in Dec. 2011, but Wasilenkoff said he expects the mill’s capacity to be directed to dissolving pulp in the long term.

The CEO said a decision whether to proceed with the reversion to paper pulp could be made within a month.

Also in early October, the Fortress Specialty Cellulose mill successfully completed the mandatory 100 hour grid test for its cogeneration facility. The cogeneration facility is now delivering power to the Hydro Quebec grid at the contracted commercial rate. The cogeneration project was delayed by several equipment failures over the summer.