Minutes of Meeting

1. Installing new Reverse Osmosis.
   
2. New batch digester under construction.
   
3. Beta-test side for advanced controls.
   

• New company name with the merger of Fort Howard Corporation and James River Corporation (August 97)
  
• New Ahlstrom Multiple Effect Evaporators with Blow Heat Recovery upgrades (May 97)
  
• New Steam Stripper (June 97) Fine-tuning to Oct./97
  
• Turpentine Recovery upgrades (Fall 97)
  
• #1 Pulp M/C Upgrades (June 97) (Layboy rebuild, steam coil replacements, economizer work)
  
• Further Bleach Plant Optimization Work (Ongoing)
  
• Reach Program (Taking safety program a step further beyond accident and near-miss investigation to include the analysis of "at-risk behaviours" for accident reduction)
  
• Bleach Plant: W-45 vat replacement (December 97) (will be running 3-stage (DEopD) bleaching for one week)
  
• Forte System upgrades (December 97)
• Boiler Feedwater System Replacement (1998-99)
  
• Development of Environmental Management System (ISO 14000)
  

• On strike since July 14, 1997 (14 weeks). Main issues are to put us on a level playing field with our competitors back East.
  
  • Full operational and maintenance flexibility
    
  • 365 day running time
    
  • 6 year contract
    
• Splitting company into two - Pulp Company and Paper Company.
  
• Re-engineered staff into four teams responsible for mill areas.
  
• Installing 5 new Ahlstrom MC pumps and two MC pumps.
  
• Plan to be certified to ISO 14001 by December, 1998.

• Working on mill 0₂ stages to improve delignification and strength retention.
  
• On the Do stage - lowering Kappa factor, avoiding precipitation of Ca oxalate and barium sulphate by use of acid post
• treatments.
  
• On Eop extraction - more effective use of MgSO₄ for strength retention.
  
• Correction of pH in the D1 and D2 stages for optimum brightness.
  
• On (DE) using sufficient caustic soda to achieve a pH of 10.
  
• Solving problems to pitch deposition caused by the (DE) stages.

• Will be replacing a chlorate storage.
  
• Will be replacing CD washer in the Spring 1998.
  
• Are looking at twin roll press on Brown Stock and a mini-0₂ system. (Very preliminary).
  
• Running a very successful enzyme trial at the present time.
  
• Working on several cost saving measures throughout the complex.
  
• Will be installing chip thickness screening.
  
• Will be installing foul condensate stripping.

• Heading for 14000 certification February, 1998 at both of our mills. At the present time, we are into a full scale training
• program.
  
• Most of our efforts are being focused on our sack kraft machine.
  
• Splitting our Bleach Plant to make 20% of our sack bleached has worked well for us.
  
• We are continuing on with our distributed control system upgrade.
  
• Putting in a new Eo tower at the Prince George mill. Jury still out if we will make it a pressurized H₂0₂ system.

• CTS system in full operation since April, 1997.
  
• New chip truck dumper to start up in early 1998.
  
• Just received approval for new loader based chip screw unloading facility.
  
• Starting up white liquor scrubber on R8 plant vent stack on Thursday.
  
• Just received approval for $3.5 million debottlenecking project for B-Bleach to reduce production lost to stock blending restrictions.

• Conversion of chemical plant control system to DCS.
  
• Spill protection
  • Dyking of H₂SO₄ tank.
    
  • Controlling Dow NaOH supply from Avenor
    
  • Central control.
    
• Replaced Ti drum on sesqui filter.
  
• ISO 14001 certification by year end.
  
• Kraft mill recordable frequency of 1.3.
  
• Record pulp production, one day at 1,732 tonnes/day.
  
• Kraft mill information system now on line.

• New colour limits on July 15, 1997 that are very challenging to meet with current capability.
• Will have more stringent limits in July, 2002 and will have to have change to meet this (i.e., debottlenecking combined with 0₂ delig. mini or full).
  
• Working on a high tensile problem in mill troubleshooting.

• Automated digester tripper horse.
  
• Started up digester flash heat exchanger.
  
• New shower bars (spoon type from nozzle) on # 2 Brown Stock and first two bleach washers. Good improvement in washing and easy payback.
  
• Looking at modifying Screen Room to increase throughput so can run 1 instead of 2.
  
• Looking at upgrading bleach DCS.
  
• Running trials to replace S0₂ with H₂0₂ as antichlor.

• $ 1.2 million investment for atmospheric emission control.
  
• In 1997, 98 and 99, we have a $ 10 million margin improvement program with a 3 year payback.
  
• Quality pulp improvement program.
  
• Enzyme trial underway.
  
• Mill production increase from 665 to 685 ADMT/day.
  
• New Corrudeck IV in 1998.
  
• We have to adjust pH probe every week in our Bleach Plant.

• Top felting 1st press.
  
• New chip screening system.
  
• Environmental Project - NCG system modified, ISO 14001 development.

• Oxygen deliv. system will be starting up November 12/97.
  
• Recent fall maintenance shutdown and start up went very well with the following new equipment starting up:
  
• 400 tonne unbleached HiD with MC discharge.
  
• MC Do stage - converted upflow tower to upflow downflow white liquor pressure disc filter.
  
• Lime mud flash dryer.
  
• Weyerhaeuser developed falling film first effect.
  
• Ran some trials with new white liquor oxidizer to determine effectiveness in converting to sulphate. Results were excellent with more than 95% conversion to sulphate.

• Production increase past 5 months of 30 ADMTPD.
  
• Achieved by optimization of cooking conditions (raise K. No., lower residuals).
  
• Also increased RB firing slightly after installation of mass flowmeter.
  
• Installing new RB DCS next year.
  
• Started up new NCG system this year to burn NCG's in power boiler.
  
• Working on ISO 14000 accreditation.
  
• Evaluating AQ for RB debottlenecking.

• H₂0₂ plant in Prince George has achieved ISO 14000 certification.

• Implemented pH control in Brown Stock System.
  
• Will install an S0₂- water mixing system to replace S0₂ vaporizer and absorption tower.
  
• Implemented Kappa factor control at Do stage; target for 0.21 to 0.23 control update every 15 minutes.
  
• Converted Ahlstrom MC pump to internal degassing.
  
• Going to convert whole Bleach Plant to DCS.
  
• Saskatoon Chemical is sold to Sterling Pulp Chemical.
  
• R8 Cl0₂ system is operating better and better.

• Partial closure plus (recycle of BP alkaline effluent).
  
• BaSO₄ scale formation in Do stage.
  
• Bleach Plant effluent COD characterization.

• Start up of new recovery boiler (B & W) Capacity: 600,000 #/hour at 1250 psi. (April 97)
  
• Start up of the turbo-generator. (April 97)
  
• Ran an antiscaling trial from July 97 to October 97 in the upper cooking zone.
  
• Replacing central pipe and head of digester. October 97. Will be done by Kvaerner.
  
• Replacing existing peg mixer in D2 stage by an Ahlmix. April 98

• The following started up in 1997:
  
  • Chip screening system
    
  • Double felting
    
  • DCS on pulp machine
    
  • Targeting
    • Bleach chemicals
      
    • Reduction of B.L. solids/increase yield.

• New digester control system - started up in September, 1997.
  
• New 7th batch digester presently under construction. Start up is scheduled for January, 1998.
  
• Working on ISO 9000 certification.
  
• Safety record now at 5.6 million manhours without a lost time injury.
  

• Certified in ISO 14000 in April, 1997.
  
• Installed new dissolving tank scrubber in April, 1997.
  
• Currently modifying chem. plant scrubber to meet emission level of 39 ppm for Cl0₂ - converting scrubber to absorption tower.
  
• Preparing to install a filter on the NCG Incinerator stack to eliminate blue smoke (S03) - 1998.
  
• Awaiting approval to install a mill-wide information system.
  
• Cracking in the white liquor oxidizer has postponed use of white liquor in the Bleach Plant.
  
• Projects being evaluated to remove air from brown stock and rocks from chips.
  
• Co-gen project is still on the books to convert old recovery boiler to hog boiler.

• Opportunities for crystal pulp:
  
  • New fibre sources
    
  • New Ahlstrom mixer
    
  • New stat-0x mixer
    
  • Robust multi-variable predictive control
    
  • Spent acid in acid stage
    
  • Gyroclean
    
  • Eliminated MgSO₄ in Eop, high density peroxide, 2nd talc.

• The Kajaani Alkali Analyzer is a tool for optimizing the causticizing process. Samples can be taken from the green liquor, slaker, causticizing vessel, and white liquor to the digester. The entire system is self-cleaning and each sample line is automatically flushed clean after sampling to prevent plugging. The Kajaani Alkali Analyzer measures the absolute values of Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), Sodium Sulphide (Na2S), and Sodium Carbonate (Na2C03), and calculates Effective Alkalinity (EA), Active Alkalinity (AA), Total Titratable Alkalinity (TTA) and Causticizing Degree (CE %). The analysis is based on standard SCAN 30:85 titration.

• Initiated a newsletter to share solutions to problems at clients plants. First routing via letter post. If useful, will send second and
• others via E-mail.
  
• Caution - several clients have increased inspection frequency of chlorine dioxide storage tanks.
  
• Extensive repairs around nozzles.
  
• Rotate one/year at every two years.
  
• Ice build up in the northern climates scored the side of the tank as the floating roof moves up and down.
  
• Corrosion underneath due to water washing attack non-corrosion resistant outer layer.

• Upgraded R8 25 T/D - R10 40 T/D (October 96)
  
• Started procedure for ECF pulp.(October 96)
  
• Replaced D1 atmospheric diffuser by upflow/downflow tower.(April 97)
  
• Installed Kappa analyzer. (April 97)
  
• Celebration of 10th anniversary of mill start up. (April 97)
  
• Still running AQ trial and low solids cooking. (Fall 97)
  
• Implementation of an advanced DCS(digester and bleach).(Fall 97)

• Iogen introduced Xylanase enzymes made by Protein Engineering in May. These new enzymes maintain benefits more consistently than previous enzymes. The engineered enzymes are now used in 5 mills.

• Working on getting a number of very large reports on sulphite cooking hot and cold extraction and bleaching on computer.

• Low solids operation on our "B" Digester.
  
  • Improved plug movement.
    
  • Improved wash with lower wash flows.
    
  • C0₂ acidification trial on "A" line post mini-0₂ wash press.
    
  • Too soon for evaluation.
    
  • New type of disconnect developed for chemical hose systems. Manufactured by Aeroquip, known as "Epsilon" sold by the same people who sell "Pall" filtration. Impossible mechanically to separate with valves open - less than 1 ml spillage when split.
    
  • Check gasket lbs-ft. torque specs on large FRP nozzles, i.e., bolt torque for good seal on Goretex gasket is > yield strength of FRP.

• Rebuilding our bark boiler bark delivery and burning section.
  
• Cost Reduction Program gaining momentum (saved 8%, targeting 8% more this year).
  
• Recaust/Kiln upgrades next year (1998) of $ 10 million.
  
• Plans for 30% production increase.

• Installed new digester DCS with titrator (reduce Kappa CV from 15% to 9%).
  
• Sped up digester to cut about 20 minutes (raised temperature and pressure).
  
• Currently working on AR for new chip handling (thickness screens and replace blowers).
  
• Looking at increasing production to ultimate recovery boiler capacity (810 t/d).
  
• Started $ 117 million co-gen. boiler (January).
  
• Increased Cl0₂ generator capacity (9 to 11 t/d).
  
• Working on ISO 9000 certification (July, 1998).
  
• Changed liquor neutralization point (saved $ 15,000./year in NaOH at washers, scrubber, and eliminated S0₂ emission concerns).

• Modified bleach sequence from D Eop D to D Eo Eop D recently (July/97) - chemical savings.
  
• Cl0₂ down 4 kg/t. H₂0₂ down 2 Kg/t.
  
• Next to lower Do kappa factor 0.23 to initially push Eop stage and back off Do/Cl0₂.
  
• Completed a mill water balance program to reduce mill effluent flow and temperature.
  
• Want to add a 6th batch digester.
  
• Completed C0₂ trial at Brown Stock washer.
  
• Adding a new 50% hydrogen peroxide tank (32,000 gallons).

• ICI has elected to sell its Forest Products division to Pioneer Companies Inc., based in Houston, Texas. The sale includes ICI's chloroalkali and chlorate plants in Canada and terminals throughout the United States. Pioneer already has chloroalkali facilities in Louisiana, Nevada, and Tacoma, Washington. The new name for the Canadian operations will be decided shortly. ICI Forest Products is a large producer of NaOH, Cl2, sodium hypochlorite, HCl, chlorate, Impacq, anthraquinone and distributes Ecopulp, Biobleaching enzymes and Chemprox hydrogen peroxide.