Production start up will be a phased process at Corner Brook Pulp and Paper

Pelley says with winter and colder temperatures, this will be a phased process with everything from reactivating treatment systems, getting the mill ready and forestry ramp up.

Kruger VP Darren Pelley says there is quite a bit of work required to get Corner Brook Pulp and Paper back into operation. The mill has been shut down since the beginning of November when low water levels affected Deer Lake Power’s ability to produce enough electricity to produce newsprint. Yesterday, parent company Kruger announced intentions to begin production again in February. Pelley says with winter and colder temperatures, this will be a phased process with everything from reactivating treatment systems, getting the mill ready and forestry ramp up.

Pelley says there are 380 employees employed directly at the mill and during the shut down, they were assigned other duties. This included work thyat could not happen during normal operation and clean up, which Pelley says has been the focus for the past couple of months. 

Meanwhile, Kruger announced intentions for a $700M retrofit at the mill which promote the expansion of the provincial sawmill industry, provide energy and power capacity for NL Hydro, while sustaining jobs for employees. The company has been in talks with the provincial government and Pelley was in Corner Brook yesterday for discussions, which he says are progressing very well. He says there are  a lot of moving parts with the project and due diligence is taking place now. Pelley says they are anxious to get things moving which are on track. The proposed diversification at  the mill plan will also create a significant number of jobs during the construction phase.