From Finland to Thurso: barge passes through Ottawa River

Ken Draycott sent this digital photograph to The Review. He writes, "This went by our front porch about 12:40 p.m. on Monday, October 11." In the background, you can see the church steeple in Chute-à-Blondeau, from Draycott's perspective in Cushing, Québec.

This was likely some of the Finnish equipment headed to Thurso, where it was to be unloaded on Tuesday for the Fortress Paper plant; the equipment will be used to produce a type of pulp that can be used as part of the rayon manufacturing process.

According to press reports, the Quebec Ministry of Transport planned to close Highway 148 at Thurso for at least part of the day yesterday so that the equipment could be moved by truck across the road. An estimated 100 tonnes of equipment arrived at Thurso by barge on the Ottawa River.

Chinese companies have purchased about 80 per cent of the mill's production; the mill is supposed to start production next summer.

Fortress Paper Ltd., a producer of security and specialty papers, acquired the assets of Fraser Papers' northern bleached hardwood kraft mill in Thurso, Quebec.

Fortress Paper announced that it intends to convert the mill into a specialty cellulose (dissolving pulp) operation, and concurrently, to build a biomass-based cogeneration plant at the Thurso mill which will produce green electricity.

The Thurso mill will be acquired by a wholly-owned subsidiary, Fortress Specialty Cellulose Inc. According to a pulp and paper industry website, Fortress Specialty will focus on producing dissolving grade cellulose for the textile industry, primarily targeting viscose fibre (rayon) products.

Fortress Paper also plans to construct a 25-megawatt cogeneration facility to service a net 18.8 megawatt power supply agreement over a 15-year term. The location of the cogeneration facility provides it with access to on-site generation of biomass and an extensive local network of chip and other biomass suppliers.

The cogeneration facility is expected to be supplying electricity in the fourth quarter of 2012.