June 16, 2008
Millinocket mill explores biomass boiler
Officials at the Katahdin Paper mill in Millinocket might install a biomass boiler to reduce the company's dependence on oil and prevent the mill from closing.
The mill had planned months ago to upgrade to a biomass boiler, which burns wood chips and other biological material rather than oil, but scrapped those plans because it would have taken up to two years and cost $50 million to install, according to the Bangor Daily News. But those estimates were too high, the paper reported. The new plan comes after mill officials met Friday with Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, along with local union and town representatives.
The mill parent company, Brookfield Asset Management Inc., announced on May 29 that it planned to shut the mill on July 28, citing runaway oil prices. Gov. John Baldacci and other Maine politicians have since begun exploring ways to keep the mill running and save 208 jobs.
The mill had planned months ago to upgrade to a biomass boiler, which burns wood chips and other biological material rather than oil, but scrapped those plans because it would have taken up to two years and cost $50 million to install, according to the Bangor Daily News. But those estimates were too high, the paper reported. The new plan comes after mill officials met Friday with Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, along with local union and town representatives.
The mill parent company, Brookfield Asset Management Inc., announced on May 29 that it planned to shut the mill on July 28, citing runaway oil prices. Gov. John Baldacci and other Maine politicians have since begun exploring ways to keep the mill running and save 208 jobs.
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