Domtar’s activities in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean include some 18 facilities as well as forestry operations. In 2020, Domtar announced significant investments in the region, including the construction of a commercial facility specializing in the production of cellulose filaments, a new sustainable biomaterial derived from wood fibre, at its Kénogami paper mill in Quebec, as well as the optimization of the mill, at a total cost of $38 million. The start-up phase of the facility was launched in November 2022 and the inauguration took place in April 2023. In the spring of 2022, Domtar announced the acquisition of Louisiana-Pacific’s 50% interest in two joint ventures in the region that produce I-joists. In doing so, Domtar has solidified its presence in the attractive and growing engineered wood products segment with familiar assets and more than 175 skilled and dedicated employees. Our hydroelectric production and transmission network, HydroSaguenay, helps supply our Alma and Kénogami paper mills. In 2022, the seven plants produced more than 1,079 GWh of electricity.
Resolute is well established in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region thanks to its wood harvesting and processing activities. In 2021, Resolute announced an investment of $36 million to modernize equipment at the Senneterre sawmill in Quebec, which will improve the overall efficiency and productivity of its facilities in the region. The investment includes the purchase of a new planer and automated sorting bins. In the spring of 2022, Resolute also announced the purchase of a 34.5-megawatt thermal power plant adjacent to its Senneterre sawmill. With this plant, Resolute will maximize the use of biomass from its regional facilities to generate green energy and create a platform for growth and increased competitiveness in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region. The Comtois and Senneterre sawmills, respectively, employ 79 and 166 people, and have an annual production capacity of 134 and 172 million board feet of lumber. The Amos paper mill, built in 1982, is located two kilometres from the Harricana River in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, one of the longest waterways in Canada. It was the first mill in the world to produce newsprint exclusively from thermomechanical pulp. Hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis and the decline in demand for paper in the markets it serves, the mill had to suspend its operations for an indefinite period on April 23, 2020.
Domtar’s Plymouth Mill is located in North Carolina’s Inner Banks off the Roanoke River and produces softwood fluff pulp. Originally opened in 1937 by the North Carolina Pulp Co., the mill today makes pulp known for its excellent absorbency and sheet properties and used in the production of adult incontinence products, baby diapers and absorbent hygiene products that are sold around the world.
