ENVIRONMENTENERGY CONSERVATION IN BCKAMLOOPS, BC — Weyerhaeuser and BC Hydro are working hand-in-hand on an energy-from-waste project that will enable the Kamloops pulp mill to be electrically self-s…
ENVIRONMENT
ENERGY CONSERVATION IN BC
KAMLOOPS, BC — Weyerhaeuser and BC Hydro are working hand-in-hand on an energy-from-waste project that will enable the Kamloops pulp mill to be electrically self-sufficient and conserve electricity that is enough to power 15,000 homes.
The project involves converting wood waste from sawmills and chipping facilities, into electricity. This hog fuel will be burned in the steam plant’s existing high-efficiency power boiler furnaces that will then drive the turbogenerator.
Weyerhaeuser invested $16.8 million in the installation of a 30-megawatt hog fuelled turbogenerator, while BC Hydro is contributing $18 million through its Power Smart program.
TRAINING
NEW COURSE FOR PAPERMAKERS
OSHAWA, ON — A new program was launched at Durham College in southern Ontario to help meet the demand for technically trained individuals in the pulp and paper industry. Graduates will be well equipped to obtain employment in the service industry as well as directly in the processing sector of the industry across Canada, United States and internationally.
The Paper Process and Recycling diploma program is three years long and will have a summer placement component after second year. The program has a strong emphasis on paper processing including production theory, quality control and environmental control strategies, as well as recycling of post consumer products. The program also contains components of water pollution control, hydraulics and thermodynamics. There will be a strong emphasis on field trips to modern production facilities. Hands on experience will be gained through a number of highly relevant labs and field placements.
For more information on the program please contact Susan Todd, co-ordinator, School of Applied Sciences at 905-721-3111 ext. 2319 or at susan.todd@durhamc.on.ca
FOURTH QUARTER
AB-CON SEES HIGHER VOLUME IN 2002
MONTREAL, QC — Abitibi-Consolidated reported fourth quarter operating income today of $18 million, including a $12 million asset write-off for the Thorold, ON, TMP facility, related to the mill’s conversion to 100% recycled newsprint. These results compare to operating income of $29 million recorded in the third quarter and $151 million recorded in the same period last year.
In the fourth quarter, excluding the $12 million asset write-off, operating income would have improved by $1 million from the third quarter. This is partly due to higher average newsprint prices and volume, offset by higher costs of products sold in both paper segments and a weaker lumber segment.
SAFETY
WEYERHAEUSER TO BAN FIREARMS
NORTH BEND, OR — To protect the safety of the visiting public and workers on Weyerhaeuser’s North Spit lagoon property in North Bend, OR, firearms and hunting will no longer be permitted, effective March 1.
Signs are being posted in highly visible locations on the 445-acre property warning that all shooting activity, including bowhunting, is not allowed.
John Yerke, manager of Weyerhaeuser’s containerboard mill on the site, said the safety of employees and visitors is top priority and cannot be compromised since they are working in a potentially dangerous place.
Weyerhaeuser’s property has been used for firearm target practice for many years. Increases in gunfire complaints and firearms sightings prompted mill management to look into the problem. Yerke is unaware of any near miss situations.
MILESTONE
DOMTAR’S 15TH YEAR ON NYSE
MONTREAL, QC — Domtar Inc. celebrated its 15th year listing anniversary on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Domtar president and CEO Raymond Royer has been invited to the NYSE trading floor last February 11 — the same day when Domtar was first listed on NYSE in 1987. Royer signaled the end of trading by ringing the closing bell.
ASSOCIATION
PAPIER LAUNCHED, GETS RECOGNITION
MONTREAL, QC — The Canadian Pulp and Paper Network for Innovation in Education and Research (PAPIER) was officially launched during PaperWeek International in Montreal.
As the legacy of the Mechanical Wood-Pulps Network of Centres of Excellence, PAPIER will work with its stakeholders and partners to unite Canada’s academic and industrial communities engaged in pulp and paper research. The Network was awarded $500,000 in research management funds by the NCE Program to transform itself into a national organization of pulp and paper researchers.
In a ceremony, the Pulp and Paper Technical Association (PAPTAC) recognized PAPIER with a certificate of appreciation for its vital role in linking academic research in the pulp and paper industry in Canada since 1989.
PAPIER aims to become the primary forum for coordinating pulp and paper academic research and enhancing industry-related education and training for postgraduate students across Canada.
Joseph Wright (president & CEO of Paprican), right, receives plaque and handshake on behalf of PAPIER, from Dennis McNinch (PAPTAC chairman).
PAPERCLIPS
READING THE PAST
The ancient city of Herculaneum, Italy, was destroyed in the same Mt. Vesuvius eruption that destroyed Pompeii in 79 AD. In the 18th century, papyri manuscripts were excavated, but they were so badly carbonized and compacted that scholars were not able to read them. But by using a series of filters that isolate portions of the visible and infrared spectrum, Brigham Young University researchers in Utah have been able to retrieve text from carbonized scroll fragments.
Multi-spectral imaging uses different portions of the light spectrum to make the ink readable on the surface. The team imaged more than 10,000 fragments during a one-year assignment at the National Library in Naples, Italy, where the scrolls are stored.
Source: Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
Photos courtesy of Brigham Young University, taken by Mark Philbrick.#text2#
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