News Pulp
Sappi North America receives $1 Million from Maine Technology Institute

Sappi North America received a $1 million grant from the Maine Technology Institute’s Forestry Recovery Initiative to improve productivity and reduce energy in its Somerset Mill.

The grant funds will be used to improve Sappi’s pulp yield in the Somerset Mill. This will be done specifically through a new chip treatment process that will improve productivity, lower energy consumption, and reduce the use of pulping chemicals in Sappi Mills.

“Our team is excited to be a recipient of this grant, and we are especially thankful to the state of Maine and Governor Mills for supporting Maine’s forestry industry,” said Mike Haws, president and CEO of Sappi North America. ” With robust demand for paper and packaging products, we at Sappi are continuously looking for the most innovative processes to create sustainably made products. Not only will the grant facilitate improved productivity, but it will also support the long-term viability of the Skowhegan and Westbrook mills.”

The Forestry Recovery Initiative deploys grants to help Maine loggers, foresters, lumber yards, and other members of Maine’s forest products sector recover financial loss caused by the pandemic, develop new wood products, and upgrade infrastructure to strengthen supply chains and sell products to new markets. It is part of a three-phase initiative in Maine to allocate a $20 million award from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to mitigate damage caused by the pandemic.