Abitibi-Consolidated Completes TMP Expansion in Quebec

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Last week, Abitibi-Consolidated (NYSE:ABY) (TSE:A) (Montreal, Quebec) completed a $42 million project that doubled production of thermo-mechanical pulp (tmp) at a mill in Baie-Comeau. The company installed a fourth refiner line, additional screening equipment, and a disc filter that boosted production by 565 metric t/d. Prior to the expansion, pulp was produced from three refining lines with total output of 900 t/d. In addition to the No. 4 line, a 200 t/d refiner from a closed chemi-thermo-mechanical (ctmp) pulp unit at the site is being utilized as a reject refiner. Optimum output of pulp following the expansion will be between 1,600-1,700 tons per day.

Abitibi-Consolidated is a global leader in newsprint and uncoated groundwood papers. The company employs approximately 18,000 people and supplies products in nearly 100 countries. The Baie-Comeau mill was built in 1937 by Quebec North Shore Paper Company Limited and has changed ownership several times as a result of acquisitions. Today, the mill employs 850 workers and produces around 1,300 tons of recycled-content newsprint annually on four paper machines.

Jaakko Poyry ABGS Incorporated (Montreal, Quebec) served as the consulting engineer for the project. Engineering, procurement and construction management for the TMP expansion was provided by a team of mill personnel.

Thermo-mechanical pulping, is a pulping process, where wood fibers are separated by means of mechanical force. Thermo-mechanical pulp is most commonly used in the production of wood-containing printing papers.