Tembec has started up a new biomass boiler at the pulp mill in Tartas, France. This €33.8 million investment will supply 85 t/h of steam to the pulp mill which produces 155,000 t of specialty cellulose pulp annually. The fluidised bed boiler will burn biomass from the industrial process, bark and other harvested wood residuals to produce steam for use in the manufacture of pulp. Natural gas will only be used for start-up.

“This is an excellent investment that combines good financial returns with sound environmental stewardship. It will improve the efficiency of the mill, lower energy costs and reduce carbon emissions. I am particularly proud of the fact that this project was not just completed within the timelines and budget allotted, but it was done without a significant health and safety incident in over 100,000 man-hours of construction. It was a well-managed project,” said James Lopez, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tembec. “I extend my congratulations to the team involved in the construction and start-up of this facility. Our employees have met the challenge, and they deserve our gratitude. The efficiency of the new boiler in its initial start-up phase is already beyond our expectations. As a result of significant technological enhancements over the last few years, this mill contributes positively to the overall Group performance and to the quality of the environment in the region,” said Yvon Pelletier, Executive Vice President and President of the Pulp Group. The new biomass boiler investment involved an innovative partnership with local authorities and the financial support of the Conseil régional d’Aquitaine, le Conseil général des Landes, l’Agence de l’eau Adour Garonne. Further, Tembec benefited from interest-free term loans for the financing of the infrastructure. Tembec is a large, diversified and integrated forest products company with operations principally located in North America and in France. The company employs approximately 8,000 people.