Tranlin Delays $2 Billion Tissue Mill in Virginia

Tranlin Inc., also known as Vastly, will indefinitely delay construction and startup of its $2 billion straw-based tissue mill planned for eastern Chesterfield County, Va., USA. According to a report this past week by the Chesterfield Observer, the delay is due to China-based Shandong Tranlin Paper Co.’s (parent company) recent, unexpected success with a new "pulping, papermaking, and biostimulant fertilizer manufacturing facility in China." 

Tranlin is said to be waiting further development of the new technology in China, which it plans to implement at the new mill in Virginia, which was first announced in 2014.  

Shandong Tranlin will be "redeploying resources" as it incorporates the new technology, Tranlin was quoted in the Chesterfield Observer report. The Chesterfield mill was originally expected to be "fully operational" by 2020. Now, according to Garrett Hart, head of the Chesterfield Economic Development Authority, the opening time frame will be later—from 2020 to 2022.

The proposed mill in Virginia, touted as representing the largest investment by a Chinese-owned company in U.S. history, is expected to eventually employ around 2,000 people. 

As originally announced, Tranlin’s Chesterfield County facility would uses Shandong Tranlin’s  proprietary technology to produce  natural color, straw fiber tissue products made exclusively from agricultural field waste such as wheat straw and corn stalks. In addition, Tranlin will produce humus-based organic fertilizer products using residues from the papermaking process.

Shandong Tranlin ceremoniously broke ground for the new tissue mill on Oct. 22, 2015.