Ahlstrom receives a binding offer for Stenay plant from Accursia Capital

Powell River’s paper mill is scheduled to resume production in May, according to mayor Dave Formosa. Speaking at the city council meeting on March 4, Formosa said he wanted to announce that the Catalyst Paper Corporation mill in Powell River will be starting up one paper machine. “We’re looking for that to happen in May,” said Formosa. “They are anticipating four- to six-week lead time so certain workers will be called back to the operation to start getting the facility ready to fire up one machine. “They will be making a new product that has not been made here before. It’s a brown, heavy paper that will line boxes, so it’s a box liner, which happens to have a good market. That’s good news.” Formosa said the mill is hoping to start up a second machine once it gets enough orders for the thermo-mechanical pulp (TMP) operation. He said that is where the mill would take pulp from the TMP operation, dry it on the paper machines onto rolls, and then sell it into Asia as a raw material.

Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. and Borregaard ASA announced LignoTech Florida, owned 45 percent by RYAM and 55 percent by BRG, officially begun operations at the new lignin plant in Fernandina Beach. The plant has production capacity of 100,000 dry metric tons of lignin with the option of a second phase that can later expand production by an additional 50,000 dry metric tons “We are excited to complete construction phase of the plant, on time and within $110 million combined budget,” said Paul G. Boynton, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rayonier Advanced Materials. “This investment provides new jobs for the Fernandina Beach community, diverse and environmentally-friendly products for Rayonier Advanced Materials, and a solid return on capital for our investors.” Lignin, a natural component of wood, is a co-product of Rayonier Advanced Material’s sulphite cellulose manufacturing process in Fernandina Beach. The new operation will process the lignin into value-added products that provide environmentally-friendly alternatives to fossil fuel-based products used globally in construction, agriculture and other industrial applications.

As we continue to manage our manufacturing system to meet shifting customer needs and improve efficiency, Verso will discontinue the following grades by the end of 2021: • Velocity® • Balance® • Publishers Matte® • Publishers ThinBulk®. Any inventory will continue to be available until it is extinguished.