News Equipment & Systems Pulp
New woodroom at Mercer Peace River Pulp optimizes wood fibre use

Mercer Peace River Pulp Ltd. in Alberta has completed its new woodroom, now equipped with first-in-kind debarking, chipping and monitoring technologies.

In a news release yesterday, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) noted its $8.5-million investment to the woodroom in 2021 through the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program.

“Canada’s forestry sector has supported livelihoods across the country for generations,” Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson said in the release. “Smart investments in innovative processes and technologies can increase efficiency and competitiveness while also lowering emissions. This investment has resulted in a cutting-edge woodroom and shows how we can create jobs, increase sustainability and grow the economy in communities across the country.”

The new woodroom optimizes the pulp mill’s use of wood fibre, as well as lowers its greenhouse gas emissions through efficiency and lower fossil fuel consumption.

Mercer Peace River Pulp managing director Roger Ashfield said the new woodroom has created a more sustainable business model, transformed the fibre procurement process, improved environmental performance and created several long-term career opportunities.

“We are proud to have completed this significant milestone that will enhance our region’s economy for decades to come,” Ashfield said.