Nippon Paper Industries to Go Green

Nippon Paper Industries USA has unveiled its designs to construct a $71 million cogeneration plant in its facility located at Port Angeles mill. The proposed facility will utilize the forest biomass to generate electricity as well as heat.

The mill produces paper that is used in the making of telephone books in addition to making news print and custom used paper. Currently it utilizes the steam generated from the electric boiler, a large biomass boiler and two oil fired boilers. The newly planned project will have a new steam boiler and a turbine generator along with other building constructions required. The new plant is expected to utilize 100% biomass for power and projected to produce more steam than the existing one to supply enough steam to run a 20 MW turbine generator as well as the paper mill. The construction for the plant is expected to commence during the later part of this year after receiving environmental clearance and permission from local authorities.

Harold Norlund, Manager of the Port Angeles Mill, said that the new cogeneration facility will allow the business to grow and gain profitably and make improvements in the paper making process. He added that the new boilers would reduce the pollutant levels of carbon monoxide and sulfur oxide and the mill will only utilize the left over biomass of the forest that would otherwise remain unused.