Resolute Forest Products Inc. held a ceremony to inaugurate its new commercial-scale plant for the production of cellulose filaments at its Kénogami paper mill in Saguenay, Quebec. Cellulose filaments, also known as nanofibrillated cellulose, are a novel biomaterial derived from wood fiber, which can be used as a natural additive in many products to improve technical performance. Announced in 2020, the construction of the $27 million facility was part of a $38 million investment project in the company's Kénogami mill. Remi G. Lalonde, Resolute's president and chief executive officer, led the inauguration ceremony, also attended by Andrée Laforest, Quebec Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister Responsible for the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, as well as by local officials, dignitaries and Resolute employees.

Canfor Corporation is announcing a temporary reduction in Canadian production due to very weak market conditions. The production will be reduced through curtailments at all solid wood facilities in B.C. and Alberta. This will remove approximately 150 million board feet in December and January. The curtailments will start to be implemented on December 19, 2022 and will range from one to four weeks across its Canadian operations. The Company will continue to adjust operating rates to align with market conditions and anticipates that the majority of its BC facilities will operate below full capacity in the New Year. “Due to the significant decrease in demand for solid wood products and challenging economic conditions, we are temporarily curtailing production in Canada. We will be working to mitigate the impacts on our employees by providing support and identifying meaningful work during the downtime,” said Don Kayne, President and CEO, Canfor.

Zhao Lei, President, Wuzhou Special Paper, says: “In collaboration with ANDRITZ, we have set a world record by achieving a capacity of 1,500 admt/d using just one HC refiner in our new production line. With this cutting-edge system, we will be self-sufficient in pulp production, guaranteeing top-quality products without having to rely on outsourcing.” Zhang Yancheng, Vice General Manager, Wuzhou Special Paper, adds: “ANDRITZ's proven technology, coupled with its team of domestic and international experts, has greatly supported our production line start-up. We're very satisfied with the high fiber quality and the low energy consumption.” The new system produces pulp for premium folding boxboard using eucalyptus and acacia chips as raw material. The patented state-of-the-art P-RC APMP (Pre-conditioning Refiner Chemical Alkaline Peroxide Mechanical Pulp) process ensures optimum pulp quality at minimum operating cost and lowest environmental impact.