The project, which represents a $4.8 million investment, is one of several initiatives that Kruger Products has implemented as part of Sustainability 2015, the company's five-year plan to reduce its environmental footprint.
"Kruger Products is taking a leadership role in incorporating green technology in our business practices," said Mario Gosselin, COO of Kruger Products. "Our goal is to be North America's foremost provider of quality tissue products that embrace a commitment to sustainability for future generations and with innovations such as Gatineau's new heat recovery technology, we are well positioned to continue to lead the way in the future."
Kruger Products partnered with Thermal Energy International to develop and install the heat recovery technology and the project was financed in part by Québec's Agence de l'efficacité énergétique, which granted $1.9 million in financial assistance through its Heavy Oil Consumption Reduction Program.
The central heat recovery system will capture hot, humid air from two of the mill's three paper machines and reuse it to heat process water as well as the facility itself during the winter. Through the technology, the hot exhaust is pulled from the two paper machines and forced through an energy recuperation tower, into which water is sprayed. The energy is drawn from the exhausted air to the water. This water is filtered and circulated through separate heat exchangers to transfer the energy to the process. The third paper machine is already using heat recovery technology.
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