Tembec invests in energy at French facilities

BRUSSELS, March 27, 2008 (RISI) - Tembec is carrying out several energy-related investments at its mills in France.

The firm has brought a new biomass power plant online at its Tartas facility, southwest of France. The unit, supplied by Austrian Energy & Environment, will begin commercial production shortly. The biomass plant has a steam production capacity of 85 tonnes/hour using a bubbling fluidized bed boiler. The new unit replaces three existing bark boilers.

The investment, which also included some civil engineering work, cost around Euro 33 million ($51 million) and will help the Canadian company bring its energy expenses down.

Tembec is also looking into installing a new condensing turbine at the Tartas mill. The firm hopes to get government approval shortly and install the turbine in 2009-2010. The unit will help it to reduce its energy costs and the firm will sell off the excess energy produced to French electricity supplier Electricité de France. The Tartas facility produces 165,000 tonnes/yr of bleached sulfite pulp.

Tembec is currently installing a new condensing turbine at its 250,000 tonne/yr bleached softwood kraft market pulp mill in Tarascon, south of France. The unit is set to start up in May 2009.

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