Millar Western, ADI Partner on Bioenergy Effluent Project
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ADI Systems Inc., Fredericton, N.B., Canada, is working with Millar Western Forest Products Ltd., Edmonton, Alb., on a Bioenergy Effluent Project (BEP) aimed at generating clean energy from waste. Millar Western, a privately-held lumber and pulp company, has been in the forest products business for more than a century. Its pulp mill in Whitecourt, Alb., Canada, was originally designed with a capacity of 210,000 air-dried metric tons (admt) of bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp (BCTMP) per year, but currently produces 325,000 admt of hardwood and softwood BCTMP per year. Using new technology, Millar Western is now upgrading the wastewater treatment system at the high-yield pulp mill.
ADI Systems will design and build three anaerobic hybrid digesters to complement Millar Western’s existing aerobic effluent treatment system, as well as install a biogas scrubbing system to provide clean fuel for power generation. Millar Western selected ADI Systems to complete this work because of its advanced wastewater treatment technology and its experience in executing waste-to-energy projects within the pulp and paper and other industries.
The anaerobic digesters will pre-treat wastewater and convert organic material from the effluent into biogas that will be converted into green electricity and heat to displace usage of fossil fuels at the mill.
The project offers many other benefits, including reduced water consumption, lower sludge production and handling costs, and improved treated effluent quality. The BEP is expected to lower the mill's direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by about 40,000 metric tpy. These benefits will improve the environmental and the economic performance of Millar Western’s pulp mill in Whitecourt.
