In Canada, forest industry major Resolute Forest Products Inc. (Resolute) has announced the construction of a commercial plant specializing in the production of cellulose filaments, a new sustainable biomaterial derived from wood fiber, at its Kénogami paper mill in Québec (QC) as well as the optimization of the mill, at a total cost of CA$38 million.
Cellulose filaments are derived from wood fiber that is mechanically processed without chemicals or enzymes. They are manufactured entirely from renewable sources, resulting in a low carbon footprint.
Offering a wide variety of uses and a number of benefits, the filaments can be integrated into commercial and consumer products from many industries, including transportation, construction, and energy, increasing the resistance and durability of those products.
The new CA$27 million project will create eight jobs in the startup phase slated for 2021, and a total of 23 jobs once the plant reaches its full production capacity of 21 metric tons per day.
These new jobs will be in addition to the 200 existing positions at the paper mill.
Our investment in cellulose filaments represents an opportunity to enter into non-traditional growth markets. The cellulose filament and Kénogami mill optimization projects will create synergies within our network of operations in Saguenay‒Lac-Saint-Jean, stated Yves Laflamme, President, and CEO of Resolute Forest Products, during a press conference attended by government representatives, local dignitaries, and employees.
Extraction technology developed by FPInnovations
Resolute will also invest CA$11 million to enhance the Kénogami paper mill’s short-term competitiveness by modernizing equipment in order to produce high-grade SCA+ supercalendered paper, allowing the mill to access more favorable markets.
The mill has a production capacity of 133 000 tonnes of specialty papers per year.
The cellulose filaments will be marketed with the help of Performance BioFilaments Inc., a joint venture established in 2014 by Resolute and Mercer International Inc. that is dedicated to the development of non-traditional applications for cellulose filaments.
The extraction technology was developed by FPInnovations Inc., one of Canada’s largest scientific forest product research and development centers, of which Resolute is a member.
The project will be funded in part by Québec’s Department of Forests, Wildlife, and Parks (CA$2.5 million), Investissement Québec (CA$4.2 million), and Natural Resources Canada – NRCan (CA$4.9 million).
