The Globe and Mail: Domtar Owner Plans for Growth

According to the September 2017 Printing-Writing Monthly report from the American Forest & Paper Association, total printing-writing paper shipments decreased five percent in September compared to September 2016. All four of the major printing-writing grades posted year-over-year shipment declines. U.S. purchases of printing-writing papers also decreased, down six percent in September. Total printing-writing paper inventory levels increased one-half of one percent from August. •September uncoated free sheet (UFS) paper shipments decreased year-over-year following the year-over-year increase in August. Imports of UFS decreased by 18% year-over-year in August – this follows two consecutive decreases of 20% or more. Meanwhile, exports of UFS papers increased 17% year-over-year in August, which follows three consecutive increases of 20% or more. •Operating rate for coated free sheet (CFS) paper producers in September hits highest level since September 2016. U.S. imports of CFS papers decreased 9% year-over-year in August, the second consecutive year-over-year decline. Exports of CFS papers increased 6% year-over-year in August, the sixth increase in the past eight months. •Coated mechanical (CM) paper shipments declined year-over-year in September for the fourth consecutive month. Imports of CM increased in August, up 7% compared to August 2016. Exports of CM also increased, up 28% in August to 35,700 tons – the highest level since November 2016. •Shipments of uncoated mechanical (UM) papers have declined year-over-year in every month when compared to the same month in 2016. Imports of UM decreased 11% year-over-year in August while exports of UM increased 1% year-over-year in August – the fifth year-over-year increase in the first eight months of 2017.

Skutskär Mill in eastern Sweden is a modern pulp mill focusing on the production of fluff pulp for absorbent hygiene products such as diapers, other hygiene products and air-laid nonwovens. Skutskär Mill has a long history of continuously reducing the environmental footprint of its operations and products. Skutskär Mill started production already in 1895 with an annual capacity of only 6,000 tonnes of pulp. Today the mill’s annual capacity has reached 545,000 tonnes. As production has grown, so have Stora Enso’s goals for improving the mill’s environmental footprint. During the years, many steps have been taken towards Skutskär Mill becoming a carbon neutral mill. Today this goal is very close to becoming reality. Today, all the energy, heat and power produced at Skutskär Mill is based on biofuels. Recent measurements made in December 2021 showed that the mill was also 93% self-sufficient in electricity. At times, the mill is able to sell excess energy to the national grid as production exceeds the mill’s own needs.

Marc G. Serré, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., today announced $4.5 million to Mercer Celgar Limited Partnership, a company based in Castlegar, British Columbia, to deploy innovative technology and processes that improve fibre processing and address regional fibre availability issues in British Columbia. The project deploys a first-of-its-kind, high-capacity and low-operating-cost stationary flail debarker at the mill. This new flail debarker removes bark from wood that would previously end up as debris after the harvesting process. This will reduce the amount of forest waste and lower emissions from decreased forest residue burning.