Soaring energy prices have prompted pulp and paper companies to look for alternative fuel sources in an attempt to …
Soaring energy prices have prompted pulp and paper companies to look for alternative fuel sources in an attempt to keep costs at a manageable level.
Tolko Industries in The Pas has begun to experiment with the burning of old tires as a way to get energy, but the results have left something to be desired, the CBC recently reported.
A tire-recycling program in the province of Manitoba is experiencing dire financial problems, and as a result, thousands of tires have been stockpiled in landfills and yards, reported the CBC.
It was partly this abundance of material that prompted Tolko to look into burning the tires as an energy source. However, according to the CBC, the pilot project culminated in the plugging over of grates, which in turn led to further complications. The mill confirmed that if the boiler could be retrofitted with a self-cleaning grate and more bark could be burnt as well, the potential benefits of tire burning could be substantial.
Although the mill currently has no plans to invest in the necessary upgrade, other companies are looking at the method as well. International Paper is in the process of trying to secure permission to conduct a test burning of tires to fuel its mill along Lake Champlain, Newsday.com has reported.
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