Doug Routley, MLA for Nanaimo-North Cowichan and Parliamentary Secretary for Forests, visited Paper Excellence’s Catalyst Crofton mill last week to see how the recently awarded $5.85 million of CleanBC funding will impact the operation.
The CleanBC Industry Fund is a provincial government program that invests a portion of government’s carbon tax revenues into businesses working on emission reduction projects.
Catalyst Crofton’s greenhouse-gas emission reduction project is a combination of a number of process improvements that will result in a significant reduction in total steam energy demand, resulting in decreased natural gas usage at the mill.
Crofton already has reduced its carbon footprint by more than 70 per cent since the Kyoto Accord in 1990.
This CleanBC project will further reduce the mill’s GHG emissions by another 17 per cent, or about 32,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year by reducing the operation of the mill’s natural gas power boiler.
This reduction is the equivalent of removing 7,000 cars from the road permanently.
“We’re very appreciative for the ongoing support that Doug has extended and that he could join us today and learn about the investment’s the B.C. government is helping us make at Catalyst Crofton,” said Graham Kissack, Paper Excellence’s vice president of environment, health and safety and corporate communications.
“These upgrades will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and those of B.C., while helping us remain more globally competitive as we continue to produce the renewable and sustainable forest products that our world needs.”