Weyerhaeuser Starts-Up New Pulping Line in the Northwest

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Weyerhaeuser Company (NYSE: WY) (Federal Way, Washington) is in the start-up phase of a new pulp fiberline project at a mill in Albany, Oregon. The estimated $75 million project has been in the planning, engineering, and construction phase for more than two years and was initiated by Willamette Industries. Earlier this year, Weyerhaeuser won an 18-month long battle to take over the smaller, yet profitable, Willamette. The new fiberline will process enough raw fiber into pulp to feed two paper machines producing some 1,300 tons per day of linerboard and bag paper.

The cornerstone of the project involved the replacement of six batch digesters with a single continuous digester. The new digester gives the mill the ability to process pulp more efficiently and meet the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Cluster Rules. In addition to the digester, the mill installed new refiners, high-density storage tanks, washers, and other auxiliary equipment. Over the last five years, the Albany site has received a new black liquor recovery boiler, an evaporator train and lime kiln, and an upgrade to its 900 ton per day secondary fiber unit.

Engineering and construction management services for the project were provided by the corporate engineering and construction group of Willamette Industries. The fiberline was supplied by Ahlstrom Corporation and its subsidiary Kamtech.

Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world's largest integrated forest products companies, was incorporated in 1900. It has offices or operations in 18 countries, with customers worldwide. Weyerhaeuser is principally engaged in the growing and harvesting of timber; the manufacture, distribution and sale of forest products; and real estate construction, development and related activities.