Pulp & Paper Canada May/June 2012 by Annex Business Media

Pulp& Paper Canada

Over 100 years of serving the industry

May/June 2012

www.pulpandpapercanada.com

A proving ground for

lignin

• Promising wastewater demo

• High-speed paper machine clothing • Clermont riding out the newsprint crash

An Official Partner of the Pulp and Paper Technical Association of Canada

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May/June 2012 Vol. 113, No. 3 A Business Information Group Publication PrINT edITIoN ISSN 0316-4004 oN-lINe edITIoN ISSN 1923-3515

Over 100 years Of serving the industry

Cover Story

14 a proving ground for lignin

Operating on the plant floor of a kraft pulp mill, a pilot-scale lignin extraction plant is providing the knowledge needed to take the process commercial.

FeAtUreS

10 Clermont will not be yesterday’s news

Resolute Forest Products’ 100-year-old Clermont mill is cutting costs and banking on machine efficiency to stay competitive as global newsprint demand plummets.

18 Wastewater: unlocking the value in sludge

A cell disrupter being tested at Catalyst Paper’s Crofton mill opens up the possibility of biogas production and recycling of valuable chemicals from waste-activated sludge.

Photo by Sharon Boutwell

PulP& PaPer

20 advanced screening

AFT is using leading-edge equipment at its factory in Sherbrooke, Que., to make precise, accurate screen components and refiner plates.

22 energy savings through fabric selection

Fabrics are one of the most important wear parts of a paper or board machine. Their properties are essential for the quality of the end product but their contribution to improving the energy efficiency of the machine is becoming more and more important.

MISSION STATEMENT: To promote the pulp and paper industry in Canada by publishing news of its people and their innovations in research, technology, management and financing, as well as forecasts of future trends.

18 IN every ISSUe 4 6 27 29 30

editorial news Technology news

Classified ads Bio-economy update

Serving the industry since 1903.

For breaking news, visit www.pulpandpapercanada.com

www.pulpandpapercanada.com

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May/June PulP & PaPer Canada

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Editorial

Paper stock might not matter, but good management does

have a mixed bag of observations this month. First, a new product announcement. Readers frequently call me looking for the Pulp, Paper & Board Mills map that we used to publish annually. I’m happy to say we will be reviving that product, with a twist. We’re going to include bio-economy data, which will demonstrate how much green energy our industry uses and produces, and will include biochemicals, biofuels and other bioproducts. Watch for the map in the next few months. Next, I want to bring your attention to an industry outlook published by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd. (DTTL). The study is covered in the news section of this issure, and more fully on our web news. What struck me were the comments about company management. “A handful of wellmanaged paper and packaging producers will Cindy Macdonald continue to focus on operational efficiencies Editor and cost containment strategies while building strong cash reserves on their balance sheets,” said John Dixon, global forest, paper, and packaging sector leader, DTTL. “These companies are in a good position to make bold moves into adjacent products, enter new emerging markets, or further their market share through acquisitions.” We can see some of those moves being made in Canada: Domtar trying NCC and pyrolysis, Resolute’s moves at Clermont (page 10) and Thunder Bay (page 14), Catalyst testing new effluent treatment at Crofton (page 18), Tembec expanding (page 6), Al-Pac developing a new revenue stream with biogas. The list goes on, and it is impressive. Finally, some thoughts about paper. A panel of magazine and marketing people at PaperCon had some interesting insights about the nature of paper as a communication medium. A paper buyer for retailer JC Penney noted how his company depends on the “intrusive” nature of print advertising. Guy Gleysteen, senior vice-president of production at magazine publisher Time Inc., dispelled the notion that the quality of a magazine’s paper matters to the consumer. Time used focus groups to confirm that the physical properties of magazine paper (gloss, weight, stiffness) are not top-of-mind for consumers. “I think we overvalue the physical properties of the paper itself,” he concludes. He suggests that paper companies focus instead on innovation, especially innovation which can reduce costs. And don’t oversell, he cautions: “That might help publishers with their costs.” In the sprit of not overselling…you may notice we’ve made some design changes in this issue. I hope you enjoy the new look. That’s all I’ll say. 4

PulP & PaPer Canada May/June 2012

Editor CINdY MACdoNAld 416-510-6755 cindy@pulpandpapercanada.com Interim Publisher JIM BuSSIere 416-442-5600 ext. 3606 jim@pulpandpapercanada.com President, Business Information Group BruCe CreIGHToN Vice President, Publishing AleX PAPANou Executive Publisher, Manufacturing TIM dIMoPouloS

ADVISOry bOArD richard Foucault Greg Hay dr. richard Kerekes Barbara van lierop dr. david Mcdonald dennis McNinch dr. Yonghao Ni Bryant Prosser dr. Paul Stuart ross Williams EDITOrIAl/SAlES OffIcES 80 Valleybrook dr., Toronto, oN M3B 2S9 Phone: 416-442-5600. Toll Free: cda 800-268-7742; usa 800-387-0273

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Industry News St. Marys Paper sold, to be liquidated

The shuttered St. Marys Paper mill in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. has been sold to a numbered company, 2319839 Ontario Inc., which has no plans to restart the mill. All the former employees have been terminated, and the assets are for sale. The purchaser is described as a consortium of companies, including an auctioneer, a real estate developer, a forest products company and a metals recycler. The purchaser has stated it may try to operate a biomass and co-gen facility on the site. Equipment specific to groundwood pulp and papermaking is available for immediate sale; other industrial items will be auctioned off on June 20 and 21. St. Marys Paper consists of a groundwood pulp mill and three supercalendered paper machines. The mill has operated sporadically since 2009. It shut down in March 2011, due to mechanical problem on a paper machine, was not restarted due to market weakness. The receiver, Ernst & Young, noted that it had received feedback from several parties during the sales process that it would be not economical to restart the mill given current market conditions for supercalendered paper. Ernst & Young also noted that none of the bids would provide sufficient proceeds to cover the debt of the mill’s primary secured creditor, International Forest Products. That debt is estimated in the media to be about $7 million. When fully operational, the mill employed about 300 people. The mill first began operations as a groundwood pulp facility in 1895. (Ed. note: A profile of the mill appeared in the May 2005 issue of Pulp & Paper Canada. Read it at www.pulpandpapercanada.com.)

Tembec moves ahead with $190-million specialty cellulose upgrade Tembec has contracted Andritz to supply a SulfitePower boiler plant for its Témiscaming specialty pulp mill in Quebec. The new boiler is part of $190-million upgrade at the plant. This investment will increase annual production of green electricity by up to 40 megawatts, reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 70%, increase Temiscaming’s annual production capacity of specialty cellulose by 5,000 tonnes, and make Temiscaming one of the world’s lowest-cost specialty cellulose manufacturing facilities. Pöyry’s Energy business group has been awarded the detail 6

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engineering and procurement assistance support contract for the project, valued at $7.2 million. The project will be executed by Pöyry’s office in Montreal. Start-up of the boiler is scheduled for the final quarter of 2013. It will burn waste sulfite liquor, a co-product of the specialty cellulose manufacturing process, and will replace three older boilers. In the power boiler plant, 78.5 t of liquor will be burned and 222 t of high-pressure steam produced per hour. A new steam turbine with an output of 50 MW will generate green electricity that will be supplied to the provincial grid. Ammonium bisulfite will be recovered in a subsequent flue gas cleaning plant. Once the new equipment is in operation, Tembec expects a four-year return on investment, through new revenues from green electricity, the additional production of 5,000 tonnes of specialty cellulose and lower costs. The new boiler, turbine and emission control equipment will be sized to accommodate Phase 2 of the project, a followon investment of $120 million which is currently projected for 2014-2015. Phase 2 would increase Temiscaming’s annual specialty cellulose production capacity by 30,000 tonnes, boost green electricity generation by 10 megawatts to attain full turbine capacity, and further reduce operating costs.

newPage buyer making progress with negotiations NewPage Port Hawkesbury is moving closer to re-opening. Workers have accepted a contract offer from the company negotiating to buy the idled paper mill in Nova Scotia, and the buyer has reached a tentative deal with the provincial electric utility. The agreement between Nova Scotia Power and Pacific West Commercial Corp. still has to be approved by the Nova Scotia Utilities and Review Board. According to Canadian Press, Premier Darrell Dexter has said that once the electricity rates are set, the government will start discussing other issues, such as Crown timber rights. CBC.ca reports that the contract from Pacific West Commercial will reduce the workforce from about 600 to 229 unionized employees. Marc Dube of Pacific West Commerical stated in a press release: “This vote outcome sends a clear message that the employees want to work hard to run a successful, competitive mill and they know what it will take to do this. We are equally committed to this partnership and to the success of the mill.”

Stadacona union accepts offer, but it may be too late Employees at the White Birch paper plant in Quebec have voted to accept their insolvent employer’s final offer, CBC.ca reported on March 25. The offer will reportedly cut pay by 10% and reduce annuities for retirees by 30% and by 55% for current workers. The mill has been shut down since December 2011, and White Birch announced its permanent closure in January when the union declined a previous offer. Renaud Gagné, vice-president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union for the Quebec region, said that there is still no guarantee plant will re-open, but the deal was the employees’ only hope. www.pulpandpapercanada.com

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Industry News

resolute succeeds in bid for Fibrek After three months of legal and boardroom wrangling, AbitibiBowater Inc., doing business as Resolute Forest Products, owns a majority of shares of pulp producer Fibrek. Resolute said on May 4 that 63.3% of Fibrek shares had been tendered, and extended the offer to May 17. Mercer International withdrew its competing offer for Fibrek shares at the end of April, after the Supreme Court refused to allow Fibrek to appeal a Quebec court’s decision to maintain a cease trade order of the proposed private placement of special warrants that formed part of the Mercer International friendly offer for Fibrek. As a result of the Supreme Court decision, Fibrek and Mercer announced that the private placement would not occur. Resolute has stated it intends to carry out a second step transaction to acquire the Fibrek shares not deposited in the offer. The acquisition will boost Resolute’s market pulp offering. Fibrek operates a northern bleached softwood kraft pulp mill at St. Felicien, Que., and two recycled bleached kraft pulp mills in the United States. The St. Felicien mill was previously owned by Resolute, and several Resolute sawmills in the area provide fibre for the mill. Resolute’s $1-per-share offer was viewed as a hostile takeover, and strongly opposed by the Fibrek board.

“Workers have sort of bought a lottery ticket on the chance they might save their jobs. Nobody is happy about it,” he told CBC.ca. The company was the second-largest newsprint manufacturer in North America when it filed for bankruptcy protection in February 2010.

name change for eka Chemicals

Photo by JD Howell, McMaster University

AkzoNobel Pulp and Performance Chemicals (formerly Eka Chemicals) has developed a new business strategy and management team that became effective April 1, 2012. The name Eka will stay as a product brand for the pulp and paper industry. “We are going to focus on innovative solutions for the future and we see a large potential in bleaching chemicals, silica technology, polymers and expandable microspheres, which are some of the key areas for growth in the long term,” says managing director Ruud Joosten.

Researchers in the field of bioactive paper have developed a simple paper strip that can detect E. coli in recreational water within minutes.

www.pulpandpapercanada.com

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Richard Garneau, president and CEO, Resolute Forest Products

“This is one of Sentinel’s most promising technology platforms and I anticipate significant field studies in the next year,” said Dr. Robert Pelton, Sentinel’s scientific director and director of McMaster University Centre for Pulp and Paper Research. The new strips are coated with chemicals that react to the bacteria, and are printed using inkjet technology similar to that found in standard desktop printers. Within 30 minutes of sampling, the paper changes colour to indicate the presence of E. coli, with colours coded to represent different forms and concentrations of the bacteria.

Fortress adds to dissolving pulp management team

Fortress Paper Ltd. has announced changes to the management team of Fortress Specialty Cellulose Inc., a wholly-owned operating subsidiary which produces dissolving pulp at a mill in Thurso, Que. Marco Veilleux has been promoted to viceBioactive paper researchers president, business development and strategic projects, for Fortress Paper. André Boucher joins the company to replace develop e. coli-detecting Veilleux as chief operating officer of Fortress Specialty Celstrip Researchers at McMaster Univer- lulose. sity have developed a rapid testBoucher has more than 30 years of industry experience in ing method using a simple paper the specialty cellulose sector including 24 years at Tembec Inc. strip that can detect E. coli in where he was the general manager of the Temiscaming dissolvswimming water within minutes. ing pulp mill. The new tool can close the gap Chadwick Wasilenkoff, chief executive officer of Fortress between outbreak and detection, Paper, commented: “André’s addition provides us with more improving public safety globally. flexibility as we balance our key personnel between Thurso Scientists have validated the and our other strategic projects.” viability of the test strip, which In his new role, Veilleux will focus on special and strategic can detect potentially harmful projects, manage risk and compliance matters, and will assume concentrations of E. coli in water other key corporate responsibilities within Fortress Paper. quickly and simply, with much Fortress announced earlier this month that the closing date greater accuracy than existing for its previously announced acquisition of the Lebel-surQuevillon pulp mill will be extended. The company states that portable technology. The work was funded by the it continues to work with the other parties to satisfy all the Sentinel Bioactive Paper Network. conditions prior to closing. May/June 2012 PulP & PaPer Canada

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Industry News Cascades closing norampac Trenton mill after union rejects offer Significant losses and the rejection by unionized workers of a new collective agreement have led Cascades to announce the closure of the Norampac containerboard mill located in Trenton, Ontario. The announcement was made only days after employees rejected the company’s final contract offer. Nearly 130 employees will be affected by the closure. Negotiations for the renewal of the collective agreement have been ongoing since May of last year between Norampac’s management and the Communications, Energy and Papermakers Union of Canada (CEP). Dave Moffat, Ontario region vicepresident for CEP, told the local Trentonian newspaper, “They wanted significant concessions in a new collective agreement. Those concessions are too deep to accept.”

Marc-André Dépin, president and CEO at Norampac, said: “Despite substantial investments made by Cascades/ Norampac to help increase its profitability, the Trenton mill has incurred significant losses over the years. These losses, combined with unacceptable labour relations, have left us with no other choice but to close the mill,” adds Dépin. The Norampac Trenton facility produces corrugating medium and has an annual production capacity of 150,000 tonnes.

China will lead industry growth for 2012 predicts deloitte According to the 2012 Global forest, paper, and packaging sector outlook from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited China is expected to lead the sector in growth for 2012 due to increasing demand in the Asia Pacific region. Europe is facing a potential economic recession due to declining demand and overcapacity for paper products.

SaFeST Mill in Canada COnTeST Year to date, March 2012

Total Recordable Incidents

Total Hours Worked

Mill Frequency

CaTeGOrY a OVER 80,000 MANHOURS PER MONTH Domtar Inc., Windsor, QC

380,160

0.53

Catalyst Paper, Crofton, BC

273,775

3.65

HSPP, Howe Sound Pulp & Paper Corp., Port Mellon, BC

229,339

0.87

Resolute Forest Products, Alma, QC

213,172

0.94

Catalyst Paper, Powell River, BC

195,801

1.02

Resolute Forest Products, Iroquois Falls, ON

153,566

1.30

Resolute Forest Products, Thunder Bay, ON

230,203

1.74

Northern Pulp Nova Scotia Corp., New Glasgow, NS

142,748

0.00

Weyerhaeuser Canada, Grande Prairie, AB

121,901

0.00

Canfor, Intercontinental Pulp, Prince George, BC

118,931

0.00

Resolute Forest Products, Kenogami, QC

109,227

0.00

Resolute Forest Products, Thorold, ON

91,485

0.00

CaTeGOrY B 50,000 to 80,000 MANHOURS PER MONTH

CaTeGOrY C LESS THAN 50,000 MANHOURS PER MONTH

PulP & PaPer Canada May/June 2012

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People… • Avrim Lazar has retired after ten years at the helm of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC). Lazar is known for his leadership role in bringing together industry and environmental groups in the landmark Canadian Boreal Forest agreement, signed in 2010. During an often challenging decade, he also helped the industry develop new markets, new products, new partnerships and new positioning as a player in the emerging bio-economy. • Thanh Trung is joining FITNIR Analyzers as vice-president of technology. FITNIR Analyzers Inc. is the global distributor of the near infrared (NIR) liquor analyzers developed by FPInnovations. As a senior research scientist with FPInnovations (formerly Paprican) for 18 years, Thanh Trung was crucial to the ongoing evolution of the NIR technology. • Edward (Ted) R. Seraphim has been promoted to president and chief operating officer of West Fraser. Hank Ketcham served as West Fraser’s president for 26 years and continues as the company’s chairman of the board and chief executive officer. West Fraser is an integrated wood products company producing lumber, wood chips, LVL, MDF, plywood, pulp and newsprint. • David Lang, currently senior applications manager, paper and board for Metso Automation, has received the 2012 TAPPI Process Control Division Technical Award. His career in process control and automation spans almost four decades. Lang received a B.Sc. in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto and was also a post-doctoral Fellow at that university.

R F www.pulpandpapercanada.com

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Mill Profile

Yesterday’s News Global newsprint demand is still sinking, so mill assets either have to be shut down or converted to other products. Resolute’s 100-year-old Clermont mill is cutting costs and banking on machine efficiency to stay competitive. by Joan Page McKenna

emand for newsprint continues to plummet, and companies and mill workers face a constant uphill battle to stay optimistic. With North America’s major players either restructuring or in creditor protection, the question becomes: where do mills go from here? At Resolute Forest Products’ Clermont, Que., operation, the firm and its employees are working together to try to secure its long-term survival. When AbitibiBowater went through creditor protection in 2009-2010 – and subsequently became Resolute in 2011 – all the stakeholders at the Clermont newsprint mill were involved, says mill manager Roger Leroux. “During creditor protection, most of our employees were concerned with the situation but understood that we had to reduce costs to keep the company going, with decreasing demand combined with the serious financial issues the company was facing,” Leroux says. “Unions were part of the discussions from the start and communication is good since then.” During the process, Leroux says, “every way of reducing costs was looked at in detail.” These included concessions by employees on salaries and benefits, and more flexibility with external contractors. Claude Turcotte, president of the Syndicat des Travailleurs(euses) du Papier de Clermont, agrees that working together during the restructuring was the key to moving forward. “The employees felt we had to take the necessary steps to get the company out of creditor protection,” he says. “Certainly, the employees were concerned but were aware of the risk of not reaching an agreement. In today’s newsprint market, we must stay competitive in quality and productivity, and control costs. You have to be on the lookout for changes and thoroughly 10

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understand the mill’s position,” Turcotte says. Nonetheless, the spectre of uncertainty continues to loom. “Even though we have passed restructuring,” Leroux says, “still, today, no mill can assure that there is no risk of closure, temporary or permanently.”

Weaker demand, stronger dollar According to its first 2012 quarterly report, issued May 1, Resolute’s newsprint segment generated operating income of US$21 million, down US$5 million from the fourth quarter of 2011. Resolute president and CEO Richard Garneau expects continued weakness in offshore markets: “Our outlook for newsprint remains the same: Despite modest secular decline in North America, we expect stable pricing, with continued weakness in Asian and European markets as long as the combination of lower ONP prices, a strong U.S. dollar and weaker Euro continues.” It’s an uphill battle that the industry is facing across the board. “North American production is down 58% since 2000 on a year-to-date basis. It is down 12% off last year,” says Paul Quinn, paper and forest products analyst at RBC. Along with declining demand, currency fluctuations have had a significant impact on the market as well, he says. “When the Canadian dollar went from 0.6732 in 2000 to par now, you just lost half your top line. So that’s what the Canadian industry’s been faced with. The difficulty with newsprint is, it’s something that’s easy to manage if the demand drop is in the low single digits. It’s very difficult when your demand has fallen off the edge of the cliff like it has in newsprint.” No one has come out unscathed, either. “Essentially, you had Abitibi that went into bankruptcy and came out and took off sigwww.pulpandpapercanada.com

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Mill Profile nificant amount of debt; the employees had to take considerable concessions in terms of wages and benefits,” Quinn says. “The number two producer, White Birch, is in bankruptcy right now. Number three is Kruger, and they’re trying to reposition some of the newsprint mills and there’ve been a number of shutdowns; and number four, Catalyst Paper, is in bankruptcy right now.”

The response: Trim production, cut costs

relatively flat for a while now and the problem is that it can’t go higher than what it is now, because the publishers won’t be able to absorb it.” Clermont has introduced wide-ranging cost-reduction measures at the mill level, Leroux says. “Having high absolute efficiencies on paper machines is the main driver to achieve low production cost at Clermont,” he explains. “That includes reliability of equipment to keep the maintenance costs as low as possible. “Fibre usage can also be addressed in other ways, such as reducing fibre losses and increasing sheet moisture.”

Resolute has already implemented a leaner financial structure and reduced overall capacity – it’s at 7 million tonnes today, down from 10.4 million in 2007. Newsprint capacity is currently 3 million tonnes annually, from 12 mills. The company set targets for its Canadian newsprint “Having high absolute efficiencies on the mills of $80 per tonne in labour costs and $480 paper machines is the main driver to per tonne in production costs as part of its bid to achieve low production cost at Clermont. stay competitive. “Every mill had these targets to achieve,” That includes reliability of equipment to keep Leroux says. “Clermont is competitive regarding the maintenance costs as low as possible.” manning cost. For production cost, we still have – Clermont mill manager Roger Leroux work to do. Wood and energy are the main costs that we have to work on at Clermont.” Fibre costs are a particular issue at Quebec mills, and controlThe mill also invested in reducing energy expenditures by ling that is key, says Frédéric Bouchard, a paper industry expert sending the steam generated from the rejects refiners to the reboiler. with management consultant PwC Canada. “Increased automation for the finishing line is another option “It’s being close to the fibre. It’s also controlling your fibre. One of the problems is that (newsprint) pricing has remained to reduce manufacturing costs, Leroux adds. “So, there are still

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Mill Profile things we can do to be more competitive.” At the corporate level, RBC’s Quinn praises Resolute’s CEO for making tough choices during the recent upheavals. “I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for Richard Garneau,” he says. “He’s probably one of the best in the industry that I’ve seen. He’s an accountant, so he knows the numbers very well. He’s been an operator, and he has a phenomenal amount of energy—he’s like the Energizer Bunny. These are not easy decisions that he makes, but he’s not afraid to address all the issues and he does it well for his shareholders and for the vast majority of its employees.”

The employees have been there for long time and they’re just trying to get to retirement. The average age across the industry is quite high. It’s not a cheery space, to be honest.” “It all goes back to Economics 101– you’ve got supply and demand,” he continues. “And the issue is, when you’ve got falling demand, can you take out enough capacity to be able to keep the market in balance? At Clermont, they’ve just got to make sure their mill stays competitive,” he says. “Maybe there’s a decent future at that mill if the employees get proactive and try to keep costs down and demand doesn’t PPC drop as quickly as it has in the last three or four years.”

Tightening the belt is not enough While Clermont and other mills have taken concrete steps to move forward, the industry is still playing catch-up because of the rapid drop in demand that it wasn’t ready for, Bouchard explains. “Companies did not have time to do something else with their mills, to transform some of their facilities and to think about new products. I think they all had a plan, but the decrease in demand came so quickly that they didn’t have a chance to put together their plan,” he says. “To keep your mill in the black, well, probably, you have to do things a little bit differently – really be efficient, maybe talk to the employees,” Bouchard says. “I think in North America, probably, employees are too well-paid for the industry. And I’m not saying it’s because they are not doing a good job at what they’re doing, but if you look at the crisis in the industry, everybody’s got to chip in a little bit. And you also have to look at governments and the way they handle fibre resources.” While North American demand has declined sharply, emerging and overseas markets could be the ticket for some Canadian mills, although there is some uncertainty about the demand outlook there as well. Resolute’s newsprint sales, when it emerged from restructuring, were split about 50/50 between North American and export markets, says Paul Quinn. For the Clermont’s mill, “the focus is mainly on Holland, Germany, France, Spain and the U.K., where we send mostly 42.5 gsm,” Leroux says. “Paper quality is one key element to serve these very demanding markets,” he notes. “We also have customers in the Middle East, India and Africa. Most of the major publishers in these regions are using our paper.” Moving out of newsprint into consumer-targeted products may also have potential for some mills, PwC’s Bouchard says. “If we look at Abitibi, and probably what Catalyst is going to do, is maybe try to go into other markets – maybe more for the consumer-goods side, such as tissue and those kinds of papers. There is a possibility, but the problem is capital expenditures. And you need to make sure that it’s the right path, so it’s a guess and the guess involves a lot of investment.” Bouchard says that for the industry as a whole to succeed, “there has to be some innovation. There has to be some new thinking outside the box, so the industry can go out and still make some money with what they’ve got as far as an asset base.” This leaves mill workers and companies on somewhat precarious footing. “It’s difficult,” Quinn says. “In a lot of cases, these are small mill towns and there are not a lot of options for the employees. 12

PulP & PaPer Canada May/June 2012

Clermont Mill number of employees: 302 annual newsprint production capacity: 345,000 tonnes Paper machines: 2 1909-1913: Groundwood pulp mill with hydraulic power motor 1913-1958: Installation of paper machines 1, 2 and 3. Mill newsprint capacity is 92,000 tonnes/year 1967: Installation of PM 4. Additional capacity: 120,000 tonnes/year 1970: Bisulphite pulp mill installation 1985: Shutdown of bisulphite and groundwood pulp mill; thermomechanical pulp plant installation; top former installation on PM 4 1987: Installation of PM 5. Additional capacity: 200,000 tonnes/year 1987: Quebecor purchases Clermont from Donohue Brothers and partners with the New York Times on PM 5 1987-1991: Shutdown of PM 1, PM 2 and PM 3 1995: Secondary stage installation for effluent treatment 1998: Conversion of PM 5 to MB former 1999: Installation of new AC motors and drive on PM 4 2000: Abitibi-Consolidated takes control of the company and the mill after merger 2006: Installation of dilution headbox on PM 5 2008: Merger with Bowater to create AbitibiBowater 2009: AbitibiBowater enters creditor protection 2010: AbitibiBowater emerges from creditor protection on December 9 2011: Company changes name to Resolute Forest Products

www.pulpandpapercanada.com

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Cover Story

A proving ground for By Cindy Macdonald, editor

Photo courtesy of CelluForce

lignin Tucked away in the Thunder Bay kraft pulp mill, a pilot-scale lignin extraction plant has been producing lignin under real-world conditions, providing the knowledge needed to take the process commercial.

Photo by Sharon Boutwell

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everal organizations are betting a million dollars that the time is right to bring lignin back into vogue as a filler, additive and biopolymer. FPInnovations, The Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy (CRIBE), Natural Resources Canada, Noram Engineering and Resolute Forest Products are the principals behind a demonstration plant to produce lignin from black liquor. The demonstration plant and a lab are housed in Resolute’s Thunder Bay, Ont., mill. Why the push for lignin now? “There’s more market awareness of biopolymers in general,” says Jim Wearing, director, pulp and paper, with Noram Engineering. “And the value of lignin as a polymer substitute is higher than its value as a fuel.” Traditionally, lignin, as a component of black liquor, is burned as for its heat value as part of the kraft pulping recovery process. But now it’s basking in the limelight of the green chemistry movement and industrial interest in bio-based products. The appeal of its physical properties is aided by the current high cost of oil, which puts lignin’s petrochemical-based competitors at a disadvantage. www.pulpandpapercanada.com

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real-world setting provides knowledge “The most interesting part of this project is the fact that this lignin is being produced in an operational setting,” said Lorne Morrow, CEO for CRIBE. “Evaluating the lignin that comes from an operating mill will allow us to examine what happens in a real-world situation; this data will be invaluable to mills that might be looking to add this kind of technology across the province and country.” Resolute Forest Products is donating the space and resources for the pilot plant and lab housed in its mill. “They’ve been very supportive on an operational level,” says Kirsten Maki, assistant research leader at FPInnovations. “‘We are pleased to host this lab and pilot plant in our mill as FPInnovations and CRIBE do research to expand into new products and markets for the forest industry,” said Doug Murray, mill manager, Resolute Forest Products. The lignin pilot plant is fully integrated into Resolute’s kraft mill process. By being a direct part of an operating mill facility, the plant provides a unique view into kraft pulp production. Lab technicians will be able to study the effect that variations in the kraft pulping process, including wood species changes and day to day process variability, have on the final product. This will ultimately allow FPInnovations to characterize different types of lignin and determine what the best end use for each type might be. CRIBE provided $850,000 to this project as part of a four-year, $4-million agreement with FPInnovations and Natural Resources Canada. The federal government provided an additional $500,000 through the Transformative Technologies Pilot Scale Demonstration program, for a total of $1.35 million in funding. The lignin extraction plant is the only operation of its kind in North America. Combined with the lab (operating as FPInnovations’ Bio-Economy Technology Centre), it will provide a facility for companies from across the country to extract lignin from their black liquor and have it tested, characterized and evaluated. In addition, this pilot scale of lignin production (100 kg per day) is vital to www.pulpandpapercanada.com

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Photo courtesy of FPInnovations

Cover Story

An on-site lab gives researchers the means to characterize the end product and document the effect of process changes.

meet the supply requirements of end-users. “This gives confidence to the customer,” says Tom Browne, biorefinery and bioenergy program manager, FPInnovations. “They can be confident it will work in their process.” The lignin extraction facility has been in operation since March 2011. The current wash and press configuration was adopted in August of that year. The plant is only running a day shift at this point, producing up to 80-100 kg/day, based on customer demand.

equipment separates and collects lignin The lignin removal process employed by FPInnovations consists of acidifying the black liquor so the lignin precipitates, then washing and pressing to remove the liquid. “We treat the black liquor with carbon dioxide to drop the pH,” explains Maki. “The lignin begins to precipitate out. The lignin is allowed to agglomerate. Then it goes to the filter press for removal of the black liquor and washing.” The remaining black liquor is returned to the pulping process, minus about 30% of its lignin content. The process developed for Thunder Bay is not the only method of producing lignin. The LignoBoost process developed in Sweden for kraft mills is similar, but differs in the washing and pressing stages. LignoBoost is sold by Metso, and

will be in operation at one of Domtar’s U.S. mills in 2013. There are two other methods to manufacture lignin currently in use in Canada, but neither is adapted to kraft pulping. The organosolv process uses alcohol as the pulping agent, and so the properties of the lignin are slightly different. This process is used by Lignol in Burnaby, B.C., to produce its HP-L™ lignin, sold as a specialty chemical. Sulphite mills can produce a derivative of lignin called lignosulfonate, which Tembec does at its Temiscaming, Que., site. The FPInnovations process of removing lignin from black liquor produces a material that is suitable for use as a biopolymer and as a strength additive.

Bio-polymer has many uses Lignin can also be used to replace many chemicals that are currently derived from petroleum-based sources. This could provide industries like the food, flavour, dye and pharmaceutical industries with a green alternative. Wearing notes that the lignin is polymeric when removed from the black liquor stream, so it is most likely to be used as a bio-based additive to a polymeric system. One obvious product for lignin is an adhesive for laminates. That was one of the end-markets served by a mill in Cornwall, Ont., as early as the 1940s. But May/June 2012 PulP & PaPer Canada

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Cover Story eventually, lignin as an adhesive was edged out by cheap oil and petrochemical-based competitors. “We’re revisiting that market,” says Browne. The thinking is, “If your grandfather did this, there’s no reason you can’t.” “I think there’s room to undercut the pricing on some of these competing products,” Browne adds. “And then there are lignin’s green credentials. That’s an added bonus.”

learning more about lignin The lignin pilot plant also gives researchers at FPInnovations the opportunity to fully characterize the lignin. It’s the continuation of five years of work at FPInnovations in Pointe-Claire, Que. “We’ve learned a lot about how to tailor the process to meet different end-user needs,” notes Browne. “Basically we are developing an encyclopedia of how to tailor the production plant to each user’s needs.” “The benefit to mills is that it reduces the risk of installing a lignin plant. For lignin customers, it reduces the risk of using an entirely new product.” Wearing specifies that the chemical reaction and mass transfer conditions can be modified. In its current pilot-scale configuration, the lignin line doesn’t have much impact on the kraft pulping operation. The pilot plant uses a small side stream of black liquor, removes about 30% of the lignin, and then returns the black liquor to the process stream.

At full commercial scale, the removal of the lignin would, in theory, free up some capacity in the recovery boiler, which is generally a bottleneck in the kraft process. That, in turn, could allow the host mill to boost pulp production.

next step: Commercialization Noram provided the design and supply of the lignin separation equipment used in Thunder Bay. The pilot plant was detailed and assembled at Noram’s subsidiary, B.C. Research. “We’re using data from the pilot plant to confirm parameters to move forward with commercial-scale plants,” says Wearing. The same general chemical principles of the lignin separation process are applied by a number of groups, he explains, “but the specific technology in the Bio-economy Technology Centre was developed by Noram and FPInnovations.” Wearing notes that the old production process used in Cornwall in the ’40s and ’50s used CO2 from flue gases to precipitate the lignin. That gas had a high nitrogen concentration, and led to foaming, poor control and the use of some oversized equipment. “We’ve overcome that in the new process,” he states. “It’s important to recognize the role that CRIBE and Natural Resources Canada have played in this project,” says Wearing. “The centre provides pre-commerical quantities of lignin. It is really critical for the development of the market.” PPC

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Effluent Treatment

A cell disrupter opens up the possibility of making biogas and recycling of valuable chemicals from waste-activated sludge

Unlocking

the value in sludge By Peter Caulfield

n effluent treatment demonstration project at Catalyst Paper’s pulp and paper mill at Crofton, B.C., is showing that it can fulfill the three-Rs mantra: reduce, reuse, recycle. So far, the MicroSludge technology – already proven in the municipal wastewater sector – shows promise for reducing chemical use, reusing nitrogen and phosphorus, and recycling sludge to produce biogas. Vancouver-based Paradigm Environmental Technologies installed a MicroSludge plant at the Crofton mill in April 2011 to verify that the technology could get more value from the bacteria used in the mill’s aerobic effluent treatment facility. Crofton mill utilities manager Bob Ericksen says MicroSludge has shown it can recycle a significant portion of the nutrients from waste-activated sludge (WAS) back into the treatment plant, with resulting environmental and economic benefits. MicroSludge is a new way of handling pulp mill effluent WAS. At the moment, 18

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Photos courtesy of Paradigm

Scott Laliberte with the cell disrupter.

WAS is treated as a waste and is either incinerated, land-filled, or land-applied. But WAS has value as a potential source of renewable energy and fertilizer. Tapping into this potential can lower greenhouse gas emissions and a mill’s environmental footprint. The bacteria which are created when oxygen plus nitrogen- and phosphorous-bearing fertilizer are added to mill

effluent must be disposed of – at a substantial cost – after the bacteria have treated the effluent.

Cell disrupter breaks down tough bacteria To break down the bacteria’s tough cell walls and release their liquid contents, MicroSludge uses a high-pressure homogenizer called a cell disrupter. An anaerowww.pulpandpapercanada.com

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Effluent Treatment

bic digester then converts the resulting WAS to synthetic biogas, which can be used as a supplemental energy source at the mill. The process also releases valuable nitrogen and phosphorus, which are reused by the mill’s effluent treatment plant. And because there are fewer solids that need to be treated, the amount of polymer that is used to de-water the sludge can be reduced as well. Several years ago, a lab study by FPInnovations, the Canadian pulp and paper industry’s R&D organization, showed that MicroSludge increased the rate of anaerobic digestion of pulp and paper WAS.

The MicroSludge cell disrupter breaks down the tough cell walls of bacteria found in waste-activated sludge.

demo plant takes the process right to the mill Following the study, Paradigm set up a portable, three-module plant at Catalyst’s Crofton mill, to demonstrate the technology on a small portion (one percent) of the WAS. The demonstration plant, which replicates full-scale operation, includes the MicroSludge unit, anaerobic digesters and aerobic-activated sludge units. The plant has three modules: processing equipment; office and laboratory workspace; and a roof-top sludge thickener. The objective of the demonstration plant is to verify the lab results, minimize implementation costs and maximize the benefits of MicroSludge on mill processes. The demo plant will be used for future trials at other pulp mills. To monitor plant performance, there are one or two full-time Paradigm engineering staff on site and two Catalyst lab technicians. Paradigm president and CEO Gordon Skene says full results are expected by the end of 2012 or the beginning of 2013. “We want to start talking to other pulp mills in the fall,” Skene said. “Our goal is to implement a full-scale commercial system.”

disrupter has proved its value Catalyst Paper’s Crofton mill is located on the east side of Vancouver Island, half-way between Victoria and Nanaimo. Built in 1956, the integrated mill has two www.pulpandpapercanada.com

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The MicroSludge demonstration unit has been operating at Crofton for a year now, and shows positive results.

kraft lines that produce pulp for export and three paper machines. Crofton’s Bob Ericksen says the mill now de-waters its sludge and burns it in an incinerator. “But it’s difficult to de-water it and the process requires a lot of chemicals.” He believes the demo presents the mill with two opportunities. “The cell disrupter breaks up the cell walls of the bacteria, which gets the nutrients back into the effluent treatment system,” he explains. “In addition, the disrupter speeds up the anaerobic digester to produce synthetic biogas that can be used as fuel for the mill.” Ericksen says the trials have shown that the cell disrupter can handle the volume of WAS produced by the mill’s aerobic effluent treatment system; can recycle a significant portion of the nutrients back

into the system; and can decrease the reaction time of the anaerobic digester. “That means the anaerobic digester can be made smaller and therefore less expensive,” Ericksen said. “Anaerobic digesters are large and cost a lot of money.” In addition to Catalyst Paper’s commitment to reducing GHG emissions and fossil fuel purchases, Ericksen says MicroSludge’s ability to reduce the mill’s purchases of expensive fertilizer makes it attractive. Nitrogen- and phosphorousbearing fertilizer used for aerobic effluent treatment is a large expense for many mills, running from $500,000 to $3 million per year. So in this case, a technology that can “reduce, reuse, recycle” also has a clear bottom-line benefit for pulp and paper PPC producers. May/June 2012 PulP & PaPer Canada

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Operations

Now playing in Sherbrooke, Que.: AFT is using cutting-edge machining equipment to make screen components with remarkable precision and accuracy.

here have been some significant changes since Aikawa took over a screen plate manufacturing business in Sherbrooke, Que., in 2006. Business has grown by four to five times, and the company has invested in leading-edge laser machining centres. On the corporate side, the Aikawa Group has consolidated its several specialist companies serving the pulp and paper sector under the name Aikawa Fiber Technologies (AFT). AFT’s products are used for screening, refining and stock preparation of both virgin and reclaimed fibre. At the Sherbrooke facility, the company produces screen cylinders and rotors, and refiner plates. In fact, this Canadian facility is the global manufacturing site for AFT’s Finebar refiner plates. AFT invested $2 million in a new machining technology last year to build MacroFlow2 screen cylinders. The advanced laser cutting system is the first of its kind to be installed in North America. “That investment was necessary to keep us competitive with the global price point, but at the same time, keep our manufacturing local,” explains Mike Stephens, CEO of AFT. The Sherbrooke plant has several other five-axis lasers. With the recent growth in the business, two of the lasers run 24/7, says Ray Matheson, engineering manager. 20

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More precision means greater efficiency According to AFT, it has been demonstrated that the precision manufacturing of the MacroFlow2 – ensuring less variation in slot width – results in a 5% boost in screening efficiency and a capacity increase of 10% compared to other cylinders. Plant manager Stéphan Veilleux explains that the MacroFlow2 is produced in perfectly round form instead of produced flat and then rolled. The standard deviation of MacroFlow2 slots is about 8 microns – significantly better than the 12-14 microns found in previous generation cylinders. AFT also performs contract manu-

Flatness is fine AFT’s Finebar refiner plates are also produced at this facility. Competitors’ products are mainly cast products, while Finebar plates are produced by brazing the blades together. The wear surface is 174PH™ heat treated steel, which gives the plate extra wear strength. The bars and the Finebar plate are laser cut, then assembled. “Keeping flatness within tight tolerances is the most critical part of this piece,” says Matheson of the Finebar plates. AFT has shown with its investments in Sherbrooke that accuracy and precision are critical aspects of every product it makes. PPC

Photos courtesy of AFT

advanCed sCreening

facturing for other OEMs. According to Stephens, in this segment, AFT produces more screen cylinders than any manufacturer in the world. “Most of the OEMs are customers of ours and we give them preferred pricing based on volume. The focus here is on high-precision, low-cost manufacturing that is privatelabeled for OEMs.” The Sherbrooke facility has 175 employees. AFT has 400 employees globally, with additional manufacturing sites in Korea and Finland. The Quebec location has a geographic benefit for AFT too. “With engineered wear components such as ours, it’s important to be close to the customer,” says Stephens. “It gives us the flexibility to respond quickly.” And sometimes, the customer will pay a premium for quick deliveries, he adds.

www.pulpandpapercanada.com

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The 17th International Symposium on Wood, Fibre and Pulping Chemistry

ISWFPC 2013 Symposium June 12-14 Vancouver (BC) Chairman: Sylvain Robert Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), CANADA

WELCOME TO VANC

OUVER

The utilization of forest resources and the global structure of the forest industry are in a state of worldwide transformation. As such, the need for development, innovation and increased knowledge of the properties and processes of wood, fibres and other lignocellulosic materials is a key component of this transformation. The objective of the symposium is to contribute to the understanding and applications of these elements by bringing together people from academia and industry with a platform to share their knowledge, establish new contacts, and stay abreast of the most recent progress.

Pre-Symposium Nanocrystalline Cellulose (NCC) June 9-10, 2013 Victoria (BC) Co-Chairmen: Jean Bouchard and Wadood Hamad, FPInnovations (CANADA)

Leading experts in materials science, chemistry, physics and related disciplines will convene to discuss advances in nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) manufacture and product development.

Organized by:

PAPTAC Pulp and Paper Technical Association of Canada Association technique des pâtes et papiers du Canada Contact: Carmie Lato 1-514-392-6969 / clato@paptac.ca

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Energy Efficiency

SponSored Technical paper

Forming section electricity consumption Hydraulic system 1 % Ventilation 4 %

Headbox 0 % Winder 2 % Reel 4 %

Press section 31 % Forming section 19 %

Short circulation 12 % Calender Drying section 15 % 17 %

Broke collection 6 % Shower water system 11 %

Pressurized air system 1 %

Vacuum system 35 % Sectional drives 42 % Fig. 4. Forming section electricity consumption distribution.

drive power curves are different in every machine and also for different fabric types and yarn materials. Nevertheless, it is possible to influence the power curve with the right fabric choice and therefore it is good advice to monitor the drive power consumption. When a downward drive power curve is compared to a flat or even a rising curve, the approximate annual energy saving potential can be tens of thousands of euro and even as high as 100,000 €, depending on the cost of electricity. It has also been observed that when the drive power load decreases, the lifetime of the fabric increases. The background phenomenon is probably that part of the energy consumption of drives goes into fabric wear. An increased fabric lifetime means cost savings, so from this point of view it is also worth paying attention to forming section drive loads.

Fabrics – one element in a bigger picture To get a full picture of energy efficiency at a forming section, the links between various pieces of process equipment and their effects on energy consumption should be recognized. The forming section uses about 20% of a paper machine’s total electricity consumption. Almost half of the electricity is needed for sectional drives and more than one third for the 24

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vacuum system (Fig. 4). It is therefore that these kinds of indirect energy efficiency improvements are seldom simple. worth saving energy in these areas. There are direct and indirect mea- Moreover, they are likely to have comsures to improve the energy efficiency plicated causes and effects. For example, of the forming section. Direct measures a certain forming fabric type can give are those that affect the forming section optimal paper structure that needs less drives or vacuum system. Savings from pressing and less drying, but precise preindirect measures are realized in other figuring of which fabric choice would be machine sections, for example the drying optimal for which grade, stock, forming concept etc. is difsection. The choice ficult without testing of energy efficient The benefits of and trials. fabric is a direct In order to gain energy efficiency special yarns can the biggest energy improvement and be lost by using savings, certain rules it is possible to gain of thumb should the largest savings non-optimal vacuum be remembered. if it is combined levels at the The easiest way is with optimization to ensure first that of the forming secsuction boxes. vacuum levels are tion vacuum sysoptimal and not too tem. It should be noted that the effect of too high a vacuum high. Second, monitor the drive power level at the suction boxes causes friction load after forming fabric changes and that is more significant than the friction find a fabric that lowers power consumpcaused by fabric properties. Therefore, tion without endangering web properties. the benefits of special yarns can be lost by Third, keep fabrics and forming section in using non-optimal vacuum levels at the good condition and take care of efficient fabric cleaning. suction boxes. A well-functioning forming section and optimal fabric can have beneficial effects on other machine sections: high For more information, please contact: Pekka dryness after the forming section typically Kortelainen, product technology manager, means less steam consumption in the forming fabrics, Metso. drying section. It should be remembered www.pulpandpapercanada.com

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Operations

Designing felts for high-speed packaging paper machines Dewatering volume was a challenge for the dryer fabric on a record-breaking packaging paper machine By M. Quarti, M. Lampart, press fabrics designers, Cristini Group

n March 2010, the ProPapier Group started up PM2, the world’s biggest and best-performing paper machine for the production of brown grades, in Eisenhüttenstadt. The paper machine is a Metso Optipress™ configuration, with a speed of 1900 m/min, designed specifically for the production of Testliner/ Wellenstoff from 60 to 125 g/m2 using 100% recycled content. The production capacity is 650,000 t/y. The press section includes two shoe presses, with a maximum linear pressure of 1300 kN/m. Felt width is 11.00 m.

Start-up clothing In May 2009, Cristini Group was chosen as start-up supplier for both the press and dryer section. The initial decision was to install endless fabrics on both top positions, and seamed fabrics on the bottom. Since the start up, 67 press fabrics have been installed, showing excellent performances and seaming easiness (for the seamed versions). After this stage, it was decided to run 100% endless fabrics, because of the fabric change efficiency reached by the mill crews.

The press fabric design The press fabric design must satisfy extreme production requirements, because of the production speed and size. The water volume to dewater was an important challenge for the felt designers. The specifications forecasted a high dewatering in the first nip (75-80% of the total www.pulpandpapercanada.com

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dewatering), and 20-25% on the second nip. The water flows where designed as indicated in Fig. 2 Because of the press geometry, the top felts were required to dewater mainly at the nip, while the bottom mainly at the suction boxes. The designers’ choice was then oriented toward felts with a mono-mono base, with high flow permeability and easy cleaning, with a caliper able to develop, in combination with the batt layers, high compressibility thus high “nip dewatering”. Press fabric compressibility is defined as the ratio between the compressible part (normally batt and porous structures similar to fibers) and the incompressible part (traditionally the base fabric). If the ratio allows the compressible part to also hydraulically saturate the incompressible one, the press fabric gains the most important characteristics of a “nip dewatering” design. To obtain a correct compressibility ratio over the entire fabric life, a key role is played by the non-woven, porous structures like Komprex™, which behave like a fine base fabric, but have very high compression elasticity. Combining these factors, the team of designers was able to create, for each position, a press fabric that perfectly matched each single application requirement. A typical DuraFlex™ design, optimized for each position, is composed of the structure indicated in Fig. 3. By fine tuning the batt layering and type of Komprex™ layer, it has been pos-

sible to differentiate the behavior of the top press fabrics (which require high nip dewatering capacity), from the bottom

Fig. 1: Press section layout 1st Press

2nd Press 4% 44%

96%

56% TOT 2nd 25% 1st 75% 100%

56%

44% 76%

24%

Nip dewatering Suction boxes dewatering

Fig. 2: Water balance in the press section Medium/coarse fibers Coarse fibers Komprex™ porous structure Coarse fibers

Fig. 3: Structure of a DuraFlex™ press fabric May/June 2012 PulP & PaPer Canada

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Operations

113 l/min

0,0 mm Standard layout

Fabric Thickness

0,5 mm

356 l/min

Total Top 569 l/min

Total Pick-up 3065 l/min

Nip dewatering layout

1151 kN/m

1220 kN/m

2709 l/min

456 l/min

1,0 mm

1,5 mm 191 l/min

214 l/min

2,0 mm Total 2nd Bot 903 l/min

2,5 mm

3,0 mm

689 l/min

25 %

50 %

75 %

Total 1st Bot 1480 l/min

1279 l/min

100 % Total 2nd Press 1258 l/min = 21%

Void Volume gradient %

Fig. 4: Void volume gradient across the press fabric caliper

fabrics, which need to dewater at the suction boxes. This difference in felt design takes into consideration the dewatering factors, but especially the machine runnability, which impacts tremendously on its efficiency and productivity. On the pick-up position, it is essential that the fabric surface does not trigger “sheet-stealing” phenomena, with consequent breaks in the size press. In the bottom position it is imperative to obtain perfect planarity of the paper, not to trigger sheet breaks in the second press. The achievement of these results have been obtained with a “fine tuning” of the fabric structures and porous layers

Total 1st Press 4545 l/min = 79%

Fig. 5: Dewatering values during the world speed record run, April 14, 2011

months before the world record speed. Figure 4 shows the void volume gradient of the two concepts. The change in the void volume distribution results into a better efficiency at the nip. Examining measurements taken on the machine, it is possible to evaluate the dewatering of the various positions, at the time of the world speed record, on April 14, 2011. The press section was dewatering – while producing 80 g/m2 – an average of 5800-6000 l/min, an exceptional result. The dewatering ratio in between the first and second nip was 79% to 21%, in line with the design requirements.

In conclusion, today’s know-how in press fabric design for high speed machines allows a precise prediction of the fabric performance under different machine conditions. This important factor permits the production of reliable and repeatable fabrics, which push the limits, reaching higher levels of speed and efficiency.

Cristini Group North America can be reached at info.cna@cristini.com, or call John Feola, director of sales and service, at 450-562-5511.

Fig. 6: The paper mill team and Cristini Group engineers

PulP & PaPer Canada May/June 2012

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Technology News use drainage sensor to optimize wet end chemistry Lorentzen & Wettre and ABB Company have a new FSD (Forming Section Drainage) sensor for paper and board machines. This new sensor measures the amount of water at any desired position in the forming section. The measurement results make it possible to gain control of drainage and ply bonding. With L&W FSD Sensor it is possible to optimize the wet end chemistry of the stock, which will enable better runnability and increase paper quality. “With this new sensor in combination with our other portable instruments, it is possible to monitor the drainage profile all the way from headbox to couch,” says Lars Kånge, product manager, Lorentzen & Wettre. Normal use of the FSD sensor is in single point measurements between step foils or vacuum boxes. It is common to measure before or after the couch roll, to be able to estimate moisture content in the paper before it leaves the wire. In multi-layer Fourdrinier machines all layers are easily monitored, providing a better overall picture to improve multiple ply bonding.

The instrument provides for control of foils adjustments, vacuum, refining and the use of retention chemicals. The main advantages of controlling drainage are reduced energy consumption, reduced number of web breaks, reduced emissions, reduced usage of chemicals and reduced wear and maintenance. The L&W FSD Sensor uses high frequency technology instead of radioactivity and therefore requires no special permit to be used. aBB, www.abb.com

andritz biomass pre-treatment chosen for cellulosic ethanol plant Andritz Inc. is collaborating with ZeaChem Inc. on the production of cellulosic biofuels

and bio-based chemicals by providing the technology for a continuous biomass pre-treatment pilot plant. ZeaChem is a developer of biorefineries for the conversion of renewable biomass into sustainable fuels and chemicals. The partnership between the two organizations is the culmination of several years of cooperative work focused on the production of cellulosic biofuels. The Andritz technology will be installed at ZeaChem’s new 250,000 gallons per year biorefining facility in Oregon. The Andritz pre-treatment technology will be used to convert various cellulosic feedstocks, including poplar trees and agricultural residues, into low-cost sugars. Cellulosic ethanol production at the ZeaChem biorefinery will begin this year and the product portfolio of the biorefinery will be expanded for the production of bio-based jet and diesel fuels beginning in 2013. The pilot plant system includes an Andritz cooking reactor with continuous steam explosion technology. Andritz filter press technology will be used to wash the steam-exploded biomass. These technologies are well-proven in other

Ten paper machines to get Kadant’s MultiJet™ cleaning systems Orders from a major containerboard group in China for 34 MultiJet cleaning systems have beeen placed with Kadant Inc. subsidiaries Kadant Johnson Corporation (Wuxi) Ltd. and Kadant M-Clean AB. The systems are scheduled to be installed on four new paper machines and six existing paper machines in the second half of 2012. The MultiJet cleaning system utilizes high-pressure water in combination with an effective evacuation and air knife system. The patented cleaning method offers excellent results in removing contaminants from the paper dryer fabrics without leaving moisture streaks or lowering paper quality. To date, more than 350 installations of the MultiJet cleaning system have been made throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. “These orders in China result from the type of synergy we identified when we acquired M-Clean Papertech,” said Jonathan W. Painter, president and CEO of Kadant Inc. “The addition of Kadant M-Clean and its product offerings to our water management lineup offers our customers an expanded portfolio of advanced technologies from which to choose, and we continue to be encouraged by the high level of market interest in this product line.” Kadant Canada, www.kadant.com www.pulpandpapercanada.com

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Westerberg & Associates, Corp.

Armadillo Palm Guide The Westerberg & Associates Armadillo Palm Guide is one of the toughest little rodents in North America!

They have been known to run over 15 months, with NO WEAR, at 6000 FPM. The “Armadillo Skin” is approximately 5 times harder and more impact resistant than solid ceramic paddles and just as good in wet, corrosive environments. Our patented Armadillos come in many shapes and sizes and we would be honored to provide a quote for your needs.

Your satisfaction is guaranteed or your money back!

Patent US #25087036

Westerberg & Associates

1421 N. Meadowwood Lane, Suite 20 (P) 509-951-4399 (TF) 888-885-1124 Email: liz@westerbergassociates.com or nick@westerbergassociates.com

May/June 2012 PulP & PaPer Canada

12-05-11 12:24 PM

Technology News

industrial processes and, through extensive R&D in liquid biofuels, have been modified by Andritz to satisfy the requirements for ZeaChem’s process conditions. andritz inc., www.andritz.com

Impellers easier to clean, save energy Chemineer’s advanced impeller technology development has resulted in a wide variety of precision-engineered impeller designs for optimized performance in a broad range of applications. The new Chemineer® RL-3 impeller reduces expensive maintenance costs and downtime caused by fibrous material buildup. It easily retrofits to existing agitators. The Chemineer® XE-3 impeller is the company’s most efficient axial flow impeller for heat transfer, blending and solids suspension applications. The field-proven stalwart of the impeller line is the Chemineer® HE-3 impeller that is extremely efficient in creating greater fluid motion with less energy. Chemineer, inc., www.chemineer.com

Pilot corrugator test roll will enable heat transfer and steam energy research Kadant Canada Corp. now has a pilot corrugator test roll at the Kadant Johnson research centre in Three Rivers, Mich. The test apparatus is designed to simulate operating conditions of singlefacer corrugating, pre-heater, and preconditioner rolls. “Over the past two years, we have been running baseline tests on our corrugator test stand using both conventional and peripherally-drilled rolls. These tests

have provided significant insights into condensate behaviour and heat transfer in corrugating rolls,” said Greg Wedel, president of Kadant Johnson Inc. The test apparatus is being used for product development and new technology innovation for the corrugating industry. The facility is also made available to help corrugated box manufacturers improve heat transfer, roll temperature uniformity, and increase machine speed. Kadant Canada Corp., www.kadant.com

to help developing optimal business processes that adapt to the mill’s everchanging work flow requirements,” says Natalia Svetushkova, country manager, Tieto Russia. The agreement also covers service center and technical support services including bilingual incident and problem management. Tieto, www.tieto.com

Russian mill upgrades to real-time operations management system

ABB has been awarded a large electrification and instrumentation (E&I) and distributed control system (DCS) order by Sappi Southern Africa. ABB will engineer, procure and supply equipment for Sappi’s Ngodwana mill in Nelspruit, South Africa. This contract forms part of Sappi’s Project Go Cell, which entails the expansion of the current mill for the production of chemical cellulose. This order follows ABB’s successful implementation of Sappi Saiccor’s Amakhulu project in 2007. Among the products to be supplied are medium voltage switchgear, low voltage MCCs incorporating intelligent motor controls, Profibus intelligent instrumentation, variable speed drives and ABB’s state of the art 800xA control system. These products will support the mill’s goals of increased efficiency and lower energy consumption. Due to the size and complexity of the project and to meet Sappi’s project deadline, ABB will have an international team of pulp and paper composite plant experts from South Africa, Finland and Singapore work on this project. Plant production is expected to begin in 2013. aBB, www.abb.com

Mondi Syktyvkar, a leading pulp and paper company in Russia, has chosen the Tieto Integrated Paper Solution (TIPS) to increase the efficiency and profitability of pulp and paper production at the mill. The solution enables optimization of production processes, reducing number of manual operations as well as improvement of capacity planning, production, and transportation planning. TIPS provides real-time operations management by closely linking the planning, business operations, and production processes. Production data is captured on the mill floor in real-time, using a combination of automatic data acquisition and terminal transactions. Real-time production data is immediately available to business operations, such as planning and sales. In turn, changes in business data are immediately accessible to production on the mill floor. “Now Mondi Syktyvkar users have on-line access to all business processes and mill departments, providing correct decisions more quickly than ever before. Business, production, process and quality information are integrated and configured

aBB wins $8.6 million order from Sappi in South africa

Sine pumps suit black liquor transfer MasoSine pumps handle abrasive and viscous fluids up to 10,000,000 cps making them ideal for pumping viscous fluids such as black liquor soap. MasoSine pumps transfer shear sensitive materials with ease and have a suction capability of more than 80% vacuum. The Sine pump advantage offers simplicity – with a single shaft and rotor, there is no need for the complex timing gears and multiple seals associated with conventional rotary lobe pumps. One rotor, one shaft and just one seal equate to simple and economic maintenance. MasoSine 800-282-8823, www.masosine.com

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Professional Connections

equIPMenT MAJOr 2 dAY WeBCAsT / OnsITe AuCTIOn Wed. & Thurs., June 20Th & 21sT, 10AM Former Assets of St. Marys Paper Corp., As Awarded Through the Court Appointed Receivership to Liquidate the Assets of

St. Marys Paper Corp. looking forward

Preview:

By appointment only.

Auction Location:

75 Huron St.,Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A5P4 Canada

Certain Major Assets Available Immediately for Pre-sale

World Class Paper Mill Major Contents of 700,000 sq Ft Paper Mill Complex including

1988 Tampella High Speed SC A Grade Paper Machine, 400-Tons, Rebuilt 1995, New Controls 2003 • 2001 Log In-Feed System c/w Debarkers, Scanners etc. • $12M Original Cost Stores Inventory • $1M Pulp Kraft New Inventory • 1997 Valmet Model Win-Belt Winders • Velmet / Wartsila Super Calenders • Tampella, Koehring Pulpwood Grinders; • Kull & Black Clawson Paper Repulers REAL ESTATE • 1997 Valmet Hot Melt Roll Wrap Line AVAILABLE • Electric Motors • Air Compressors • Overhead Cranes • Wheel Loaders

• Locomotives • Forklifts • Trucks • Large Lathes

• Toolroom • Fabricating • Steel Inventory, & more

For more information on Machinery & Equipment, please contact Odd Knudsen at 647-991-6905 or Email oknudsen@hilcocanada.com

This is a partial listing only. More information will be available at

www.hilcocanada.com www.maynards.com • www.hilcoind.com

Careers

A Buyer’s Premium is in Effect • IL License #444.000215

Freeman Staffing, Inc. specializes in the placement of engineers (all disciplines), production type supervisors, managers, mill and/or plant managers and corporate executives in the pulp & paper industry, North America-wide. For specific current job searches call us or contact our web site. All resumes are treated with complete confidentiality.

CLIENT: St. Marys Paper

Freeman Staffing, Inc.

BOILERS SELL • RENT • LEASE

24 / 7 EMERGENCY SERVICE

IMMEDIATE DELIVERY

CALL: 800-704-2002 10HP TO 250,000#/hr

250,000#/hr Nebraska 750 psig 750OTTF 150,000#/hr Nebraska 1025 psig 900OTTF 150,000#/hr Nebraska 750 psig 750OTTF 150,000#/hr Nebraska 350 psig 115,000#/hr Nebraska 350 psig 80,000#/hr Nebraska 750 psig 80,000#/hr Erie City 2000 psig 800OTTF 75,000#/hr Nebraska 350 psig 70,000#/hr Nebraska 750 psig 750OTTF 60,000#/hr Nebraska 350 psig 40,000#/hr Nebraska 350 psig 20,000#/hr Erie City 200 psig 10-1000HP Firetube 15-600 psig ALL PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE COMBINATIONS SUPERHEATED AND SATURATED

RENTAL FLEET OF MOBILE TRAILER-MOUNTED BOILERS 75,000#/hr. 75,000#/hr. 60,000#/hr. 50,000#/hr. 40,000#/hr. 30,000#/hr. 75-300HP

Nebraska Optimus Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska Firetube

350 psig 750 psig 350 psig 500 psig 350 psig 350 psig 15-600 psig

750°TTF

ALL BOILERS ARE COMBINATION GAS/OIL

ENGINEERING • START-UP FULL LINE OF BOILER AUXILIARY SUPPORT EQUIPMENT. Electric Generators: 50KW-30,000KW

WEB SITE: www.wabashpower.com 847-541-5600 • FAX: 847-541-1279 E-mail: info@wabashpower.com

wabash

POWER EQUIPMENT CO.

444 Carpenter Avenue, Wheeling, IL 60090

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

BELT PRESS DEWATERING SYSTEMS

PulP & PaPer Jobs

(800) 221-9629 or FAX (360) 653-8271 AD SIZE: 5" tall email: markp@freemanstaffing.com

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• 0.8 – 3.0 METER BELT WIDTHS • HEAVY-DUTY CONSTRUCTION • PACKAGED SKID SYSTEMS • FREE LAB TESTING • FACTORY START-UP SERVICE

PHOENIX Process Equipment Co. www.dewater.com (502) 499-6198

x 2.375"wide

web site: www.freemanstaffing.com INSERTION #: HI-3725 1/17/12 10:33:36 AM

Poyry.pdf

PUBLICATION: Pulp & Paper Canada To inquire about advertising in

ConSulTanTS

DATE: May Issue CONTACT: Jim Bussiere

CMY

Pöyry (Montreal) Inc. Montreal, QC 514 341 3221

Pöyry Management Consulting NA Oakville, ON New York, NY 289 291 4573 646 651 1547

Pöyry (Vancouver) Inc. Vancouver, BC 604 689 0344

Pöyry (Appleton) LLC Appleton, WI 920 954 2000

PulP & PaPer Canada

Contact Jim Bussiere 800-268-7742, ext 3606 or 416-442-5600, ext 3606 Fax: 416-510-5140

www.poyry.ca

www.pulpandpapercanada.com

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May/June 2012 PulP & PaPer Canada

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Bio-economy

domtar plans to convert wood waste to liquid fuels at dryden mill Domtar is investing $14 million to develop a fast pyrolysis technology at its Dryden, Ont., NBSK mill that will convert wood to “drop-in” liquid fuels. CRIBE is providing up to $6 million in funding to leverage a total project value of up to $14 million for a partnership between Domtar and Battelle to develop a new approach to converting underutilized wood to fuel. Battelle is a private research and development institute. This system uses fast pyrolysis technology, a process that rapidly converts biomass using heat without oxygen to produce crude bio-oil and gas. The key to Battelle’s approach is in the treatment and further processing of this crude bio-oil into a “drop-in fuel”, which can be blended directly with gasoline or diesel fuel. Domtar Dryden will use wood waste,

which is currently burned for low value, as the biomass feedstock for the process. If successful, the bio-oil will be used to blend into the fuel for Domtar’s vehicle fleet or it could be used internally to offset the use of natural gas. According to Battelle, one of the advantages of its system is that it requires far less energy to produce the same fuel product as existing “fuel from wood” technology. As well, because it simply adds to an existing operation, it reduces capital and operating costs, making it more economically viable. Phase 1 of the project will use wood waste from Domtar’s Dryden mill to produce the higher value bio-oil. Once the process is optimized and results are demonstrated, phase 2 involves the construction of a 100 ton/day pilot plant, to be integrated into Domtar Dryden’s facility.

M m

Technip signs on for construction engineering of wood-to-gasoline facility

West Fraser receives funding for Slave lake biogas project

CORE BioFuel Inc. has selected energy-industry specialist Technip to complete the construction engineering for its first woodto-gasoline biorefinery. CORE is targeting a site in Houston, B.C. for the facility. The plant will produce 67 million litres of renewable gasoline and generate more than 20 million litres of water annually from wood waste.

Slave Lake Pulp will receive $10 million from the province toward its new, $25-million biogas facility that will turn waste into electricity, the Edmonton Journal reported. The system should be operating by late 2014. It will convert a portion of the mill’s processed pulp waste into a gaseous fuel called biogas that will be used to generate about 7 MW of power.

Jet fuel based on forest biomass passes the test Virent and Virdia have announced the successful conversion of cellulosic pine tree sugars to drop-in hydrocarbon fuels within the BIRD Energy project. Virent used Virdia’s biomass-derived sugars to produce gasoline and jet fuel, the latter being sent to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for analysis where it passed rigorous testing. “The high-quality sugars generated from pine trees using Virdia’s [cold acid solvent extraction] process leveraged Virent’s conversion process, establishing a viable route to drop-in hydrocarbons from biomass,” said Virent co-founder and chief technology officer Dr. Randy Cortright.

2012 Pulp, Paper and Bio-economy Map

Chemrec signs engineering partner for black liquor gasification technology Chemrec has signed a cooperation agreement with China Tianchen Engineering Corporation (TCC) to provide an integrated offering of Chemrec plants on a global turnkey basis and co-market the Chemrec black liquor gasification technology – a route to second generation biofuels or green power. Chemrec and TCC will develop an offering to provide industry standard design, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services as well as overall performance guarantees to support project financing for black liquor gasification plants.

This wall map is the first to show the biochemicals, biofuels and green energy produced by the Canadian pulp and paper industry. Building on the well-known Pulp, Paper and Board Mills map produced by Pulp & Paper Canada for many years, this new, improved map will show the full scope of our industry’s transformation.

PulP & PaPer Canada May/June 2012

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The map is being updated and expanded to reflect the current realities of the pulp and paper sector. Many companies have added forest-based biomaterials and green energy to their product mix, so the new Pulp, Paper and and Bio-economy Map will present detailed information about each pulp and paper company’s involvement in the bio-economy.

To ensure your company is listed, contact editor Cindy Macdonald at cindy@pulpandpapercanada.com

T m M

For marketing or sponsorship opportunities, contact publisher Jim Bussiere at jim@pulpandpapercanada.com www.pulpandpapercanada.com

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This familiar tool might tell you more about MacroFlow2™ than we can.

Accuracy

Precision

Many mills use a feeler gauge to check the accuracy and precision of a screen cylinder. When the spec calls for 150 micron slots, you want each slot (accuracy) and every slot (precision) in your screen cylinder to be 150 microns.

Developed to a higher standard: how MacroFlow2™ makes you money.

With MacroFlow2, you get: laser-cut support rings, automated robotic wire insertion for repeatable precision, patented wire-locking technology, and seamless construction to ensure roundness.

MacroFlow2: what you expect from the global leader in screen cylinders.

MacroFlow2 is the next generation of screen cylinders – and it is available today. It sets a new standard for accuracy and precision. Many commodity-grade cylinders have at least 50% of their slots the wrong size. Oversize slots reduce screening efficiency. Undersize slots increase plugging. Both of these take money away from you. MacroFlow2’s slot width distribution is so tight that it improves screening efficiency by 5% and boosts capacity by 10%. It screens out contaminants more efficiently, more precisely, more consistently, while using less energy, than any other cylinder. Aikawa Fiber Technologies (AFT) 72, rue Queen, Sherbrooke (Quebec) J1M 2C3, Canada T: 819-821-4930 E: sales@aikawagroup.com www.aikawagroup.com

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