The first and only paper mill in the province, Alberta Newsprint Company (ANC), uses over 1% of Alberta’s total electricity consumption. That’s a massive emissions impact, but this mill is stepping up to reduce its footprint.
ANC produces high-quality newsprint and specialty-grade paper for customers across North America. Founded in 1990, the mill employs over 200 residents in Whitecourt, AB, and surrounding communities. Despite their high electricity costs, ANC is consistently ranked among the most energy efficient and highest quality paper producers on the continent.
“Energy accounts for 40% of our operating costs,” explains Surendra Singh, Director of Energy and Technology at ANC. “As an electricity-intensive and trade-exposed company, as well as a competitor with paper mills around the world, being energy efficient is an absolute necessity for us.”
Last year, ANC was awarded funding through ERA’s Industrial Transformation Challenge. After learning about other ERA opportunities, they applied for the Strategic Energy Management for Industry (SEMI) program.
One of ANC’s major SEMI-supported projects is to upgrade the feeding system for their thermomechanical pulping (TMP) refiner line, a system that processes wood chips into pulp. Financial incentives from SEMI will allow ANC to replace four motors, totaling 485 horsepower, with a single, 150-horsepower PeriFeeder system.
“Equipment upgrades will help us reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and electricity use,” says Poorna Chandra, Energy & Compliance Manager at ANC. “With SEMI’s support, we’re not only reducing our carbon footprint but also creating a blueprint for sustainable, resilient papermaking in Alberta.”
ANC is also planning to implement an energy management information system (EMIS), with support from SEMI. For years, the mill has been tracking its energy usage manually.
“We always envisioned having an energy management information system to track our consumption across the facility. With SEMI funding, we can justify the investment, giving us the data and control we need to optimize our real-time energy use,” says Surendra.
ERA’s SEMI program provides industrial and manufacturing facilities with knowledge, expertise, and training in energy management. SEMI helps organizations increase profitability by reducing energy costs, growing skills and capacity building, and helping cover the cost of capital retrofits.
The $50 million program, with funding provided by the Government of Alberta and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), will help the province’s industrial and manufacturing sectors increase competitiveness, improve energy efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.