Rock-Tenn Plans Fuel Conversion Project at Virginia Mill

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Rock-Tenn Company (NYSE:RKT) (Norcross, Georgia) is proceeding with plans to convert the fuel source of several of its key assets at a pulp and paper mill in Hopewell, Virginia, to burn natural gas. The company's plan calls for upgrading a black liquor recovery boiler (1980 B&W, 3 million lbs/d, 500,000 lbs/hr, 1,200psi, 900T) and a combination boiler (B&W, 350,000 lbs/hr, 1,200psi, 900T) that utilizes coal, wood, No. 6 and No. 2 oil, and a lime kiln in order to switch to more efficient, cleaner-burning natural gas. Rock-Tenn's investment in the project is estimated at $8 million.

Rock-Tenn awarded Yates Construction (Atlanta, Georgia) as the general contractor and plans to commence construction in October. The project will be performed during a four-week scheduled maintenance shutdown, from October 8 to November 5.

Operations at the Hopewell mill began in 1967, and the mill today employs more than 280 workers. The Hopewell mill is a single-machine mill that produces approximately 1,250 tons per day of unbleached kraft linerboard. Rock-Tenn acquired the Hopewell mill from Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation (NYSE:SSCC) (Chicago, Illinois) last May in a $3.5 billion transaction that included 7 million metric tons of mill capacity.

Industrial Info's coverage of the pulp and paper industry in the U.S. includes more than 2,900 operational plants and more than 790 active capital and maintenance spending reports.

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