Paper Excellence's GHG emission reduction project at Catalyst pulp mill in British Columbia includes three process improvements--re-engineering unused diffusion washer, investing in fiber filter equipment, automating cleaning process of evaporator No. 3

RICHMOND, British Columbia , June 3, 2022 (press release) –

Paper Excellence is pleased to welcome Doug Routley, MLA for Nanaimo – North Cowichan and Parliamentary Secretary for Forests to its Catalyst Crofton mill today to see how the recently awarded $5.85 million of CleanBC funding will impact the operation.

The CleanBC Industry Fund is a provincial government program that invests a portion of government’s carbon tax revenues into businesses working on emission reduction projects.

Catalyst Crofton’s GHG emission reduction project is a combination of three process improvements that will result in a significant reduction in total steam energy demand, resulting in decreased natural gas usage at the mill. The three areas of focus for this project are:

1. Re-engineering an unused diffusion washer with state-of-the-art diffusion washing technology to maximize the black liquor fuel quality while using less steam energy.
2. Investing in fibre filter equipment to remove valuable wood fibre from the black liquor fuel and increase the efficiency of the evaporation process.
3. Automate the cleaning process of Evaporator #3 to improve steam efficiency through reduced evaporator downtime.

“The B.C. government’s new vision for the forest sector is one where all British Columbians benefit from this precious resource while protecting the environment and mitigating climate change,” said Doug Routley, Parliamentary Secretary for Forests. “Paper Excellence is showing leadership by working with their partners to address climate change while protecting good paying, family supporting jobs in our community.”

“We’re very appreciative for the ongoing support that Doug has extended and that he could join us today and learn about the investment’s the BC government is helping us make at Catalyst Crofton,” said Graham Kissack, Vice President, Environment, Health & Safety and Corporate Communications. “These upgrades will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and those of BC, while helping us remain more globally competitive as we continue to produce the renewable and sustainable forest products that our world needs.”

Crofton already has an enviable carbon reduction record having reduced its carbon footprint by over 70% since the Kyoto Accord in 1990. This CleanBC project will further reduce the mill’s GHG emissions by another 17% or about 32,000 tonnes of C02e per year by reducing the operation of the mill’s natural gas power boiler. This reduction is the equivalent of removing 7,000 cars from the road permanently.  

Doug Routley, Parliamentary Secretary for Forests, visited Catalyst Crofton on June 3, 2022 to see $5.85 million of CleanBC funding at work. Left to right: Krista Cuddy, Deputy General Manager; Courtney Malo, Executive Assistant; Carlo Dal Monte, Vice President, Energy and Business Development; Stew Gibson, Chief Operating Officer; Doug Routley, Parliamentary Secretary for Forests; Graham Kissack, Vice President, EH&S and Corporate Communications; Terry Lalari, Vice President, Government Relations.
-30-

Paper Excellence, headquartered in British Columbia, is a diversified manufacturer of pulp and specialty, printing, writing, and packaging papers. The company operates seven mills and a large-scale cargo distribution centre in Canada producing and shipping over 2.8 million tonnes annually with a workforce of more than 2,800. Paper Excellence is poised to continue to grow with its strategy of operational excellence and high-quality, cost-effective products.

Media Contact: Graham Kissack, Vice President, Environment, Health & Safety and Corporate Communications | media@paperexcellence.com | Mobile: 250-732-7991

FacebookTwitterEmailLinkedIn