Environmental
Stewardship

Mills Advance Process Control to Support Decarbonization Efforts

Two of our mills in Quebec turned to smart technology in 2024 to reduce their environmental impacts by focusing on maximizing the efficiency of existing manufacturing processes.

In partnership with software engineering company Enero Solutions, we launched an innovative optimization program that helps the mills fine‑tune equipment through process control optimization.

At the heart of this effort is the implementation of “advanced control logic,” which helps optimize the mills’ thermal power plant operations.

Saint-Félicien, QC

Making more from biomass, using less fossil fuel

Our Saint‑Félicien pulp mill’s cogeneration plant is powered by a mix of fuels — biomass, wood shavings, natural gas and oil — to generate steam and electricity for the pulp‑making process. Thanks to the new control system, the plant can now:

Obtain more steam from biomass, reducing reliance on fossil fuels;
Produce more electricity without overloading the system;
Reduce thermal loss by tightening steam flows through the plant’s equipment.

Saint-Félicien Approximate Annual Savings

2,400,000 m³
of natural gas

970,000 L of oil

7,500 mt of CO₂

Alma, QC

Smarter Use of Heat and Boilers

Over in Alma, the paper mill’s cogeneration plant uses natural gas and electricity to generate steam for making the pulp transformed into paper products. The control system helps:

Capture and reuse energy from used steam that would otherwise go to waste;
Run each boiler in the most efficient way possible;
Cut down on thermal loss through vent utilization.

By leveraging technological innovation to fine‑tune existing infrastructure, our optimization program offers a replicable pathway for other facilities, as well as a scalable, cost-effective model for decarbonizing operations across our facilities.

Alma
Approximate Annual Savings*

300,000 m³
of natural gas

550 mt of CO₂

*The cogeneration plant project was not fully implemented in 2024 and additional savings are planned for 2025.

Legend

m³: Cubic meter
L: Liter
CO₂e: Carbon Dioxide
Equivalents
mt: Metric tons

Environmental Stewardship