Irving plans $1.1B upgrade to west side pulp mill
Upgrade to 1970s boiler expected to increase output 65%
Irving Pulp and Paper Ltd. is looking for approval of a $1.1 billion upgrade to its west side pulp mill.
The project includes a new 20-storey boiler building to be constructed within four years. The goal is to upgrade the current 1970s boiler to increase pulp output by 65 per cent and generate enough energy to operate without buying off-plant power, said Mark Mosher, vice-president of Irving Pulp and Paper.
Mosher said the mill has been getting gradual upgrades for years, including a 1990s upgrade to reduce odour and emissions. He said this new equipment is expected to reduce odour and emissions for each tonne produced.
This proposed upgrade comes on the heels of a new water treatment facility, a project started in 2022 to address environmental concerns after Irving Pulp and Paper was convicted of violating federal pollution laws by spilling effluent into the St. John River.
The increased output would mean two trains out of the pulp mill a day, instead of one, and more incoming wood chips.
"Today we bring in about a third of our raw materials by rail and in the future we want to substantially increase that and bring the majority of it in by rail," he said.
The company hosted an open house in Saint John this week to present the plan to residents and get feedback.
The company has filed its environmental impact assessment report and is awaiting approval.
The exact timeline is not known, Mosher said, but if approved, the company hopes to start construction in late spring 2025.
"We would hope to be done construction and in operation by late 2028," he said.
During those four years, there would be concrete pouring, excavating and construction of the steel structure.
"The majority of the traffic would be construction workers coming in and out," he said.
The majority of large equipment would be brought in by barge, and the steel would be coming in through a private road, Mosher said.
The current boiler is the closest structure to the water at the pinch point of Reversing Falls, and is the one producing the largest plume. Mosher said that building will be decommissioned and the new building will have no visible plume.
Mill expects to be self-sufficient in energy
The plant processes wood chips created by sawmills to produce pulp. The pulp is then sent to tissue mills, cardboard box and other paper product factories.
Mosher said making pulp creates a byproduct that the mill burns to power itself. Currently, the 1970s boiler is only efficient enough to produce 80 per cent of the power it needs, so it has to buy the remaining 20 per cent.
This week, N.B. Power outlined plans to spend $26.3 million over the next two years to help pulp and paper mills with their electricity costs — a 36 per cent increase over the previous two years.
Mosher said with the new boiler, once fully build in 2028, the plant would be fully self-sufficient, with enough power left over to sell to power companies.
Because of the pulp mill's current capacity, Mosher said JD Irving forestry operations leave behind plenty of wood that could be made into pulp.
He said once the upgrades are done, the company won't need to cut more trees to meet increased demand — they could just use what they now leave on the forest floor.
"We're not touching any more land. We're just taking the volume that is there."
The new boiler building will be set farther back from the water than the current one, Mosher said, about 18 metres (60 feet) above sea level.
West side residents learn about project
West side resident William McKenna was at the open house Thursday. He said he feels informed about the project and is excited about the potential economic benefit. He said he's not concerned about increased traffic.
"The noise from the construction won't bother me because I don't mind that. And also just the the esthetic of the building going up, it's good to see industry grow because it's good for the economy," he said.
Judy and Myles Vardy were also learning about the project in their neighbourhood. Judy Vardy said she had some concerns and questions about traffic and noise but felt her questions were answered.
"We didn't know about the combustible liquid that they make and that they're gonna now use as fuel," she said. "It's producing a lot of extra energy and maybe a cleaner energy. So we need to do everything we can for our future."
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