The No. 10 paper machine (PM10) rebuild project at the Trois-Rivières Mill is proceeding on time and on budget, according to Kruger Inc. Once the project is completed in May 2017, the mill will start manufacturing 100% recycled lightweight and high-strength linerboard.
PM10’s annual production will total 360,000 metric tonnes of XTR linerboard, an exclusive product that Kruger will be the first to manufacture in North America. A portion of the production will be used by Kruger’s packaging plants in LaSalle, QC, and Brampton, ON, while the remainder will be sold to packaging manufacturers across Canada and the United States.
The project was announced jointly by Kruger and the government of Québec in September 2015. Approximately $135 million of the overall $250-million budget has been committed to date, including $40 million for Trois-Rivières suppliers and $60 million for suppliers elsewhere in Québec.
Some 200 workers are currently completing the pulp mill, which will supply the new production line with recycled fibre, while the company makes the most of each PM10 maintenance shutdown to work on the paper machine. During the project’s final phase, from February 26 to May 7, 2017, PM10 will cease all newsprint production and more than 350 workers will work in rotating shifts for 20 hours a day to complete the rebuild.
