Resolute's Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper Mill Inaugurates TMP-Bio Plant

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Resolute Forest Products and FPInnovations announced inauguration of the new thermo–mechanical-pulp biorefinery (TMP-Bio) plant at Resolute’s Thunder Bay pulp and paper mill. The new plant’s processing capacity is estimated at 100 metric tons of biomass per annum. The plant will produce lignin and sugars, which in turn will be used in the development of innovative bio-products.

In addition to representatives from the Canadian forest products industry, the inauguration ceremony was attended by Don Rusnak, Member of Parliament, Thunder Bay – Rainy River; Ross Romano, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines of Ontario; Bill Mauro, Mayor of Thunder Bay; Remi Lalonde, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Resolute Forest Products; Stéphane Renou, President and Chief Executive Officer of FPInnovations; Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC).

The federal government had earlier invested $5.8 million in the biorefinery plant project. An additional investment of $2 million was promised during the inaugural function. The funding will be provided through Natural Resources Canada's Clean Growth Program in support of the patented technology developed by FPInnovations to convert wood sugars into innovative biochemical products.

The bio-refinery is expected to boost development of sustainable bioproducts and help in creating new employment opportunities in the forest products industry.