News Paper
Kruger receives funding for energy projects at Gatineau

Two energy efficiency projects at the Gatineau tissue mill owned by Kruger Products have qualified for $675,000 in financial assistance under the Quebec government’s EcoPerformance program.

Kruger Products’ Gatineau Mill manufactures and distributes paper towel and tissue products for household and commercial use under such well-known brands as Cashmere and Scotties. With this financial assistance the company was able to complete a condensate management improvement project and will implement a heat recovery project.

At the Gatineau mill, tissue paper is manufactured on three production lines and dried on as many Yankee dryers. The condensate from those dryers provides hot and warm water for the various steps in the manufacturing process and for related equipment, which is a form of heat recovery. Kruger Products has improved condensate management across the manufacturing process through technical solutions, and now uses re-vaporized condensate to produce low-pressure steam in order to optimize the energy recovered from condensate. This solution increases the temperature of the condensate that builds up in the tank, thereby reducing the energy required to re-introduce condensate into the de-aerator. This project has significantly reduced the mill’s consumption of heavy fuel oil and gas.

The company has also installed a hot-water cleaning shower with high-pressure and oscillating jets at its Gatineau mill to reduce steam use at the pick-up felt cleaning shower. With this new process, which is replacing a steam-cleaning shower, a previously under-used heat recovery system is generating hot water ranging in temperature from 40°C to 50°C. The project will reduce the amount of heavy fuel oil and natural gas needed to generate steam.

“We are very proud of these initiatives, which are part of a long-term strategy and help to make Kruger Products a sustainability leader,” said Daniel Dumont, general manager, Region East, Kruger Products L.P.

“I applaud Kruger Products’ initiative, which, through these projects, will reduce its GHG emissions by more than 2,707.6 tonnes annually,” said Stéphanie Vallée, Minister of Justice, Minister responsible for the Status of Women and Minister responsible for the Outaouais region.

Financed by the Green Plan, the EcoPerformance program aims to reduce the energy consumption and GHG emissions of companies by funding projects or measures related to energy consumption and production as well as process improvements.