Major advance in biorefinery development in Canada

ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S., June 22, 2015– Following Cascades’ announcement of major  investments  in a biorefinery project  at  its  Norampac-Cabano  facility, American  Process  Inc. (API),  a leading biorefinery technology developer, is pleased to announce the implementation of API’s GreenBox+® technology in this project. Cascades Inc. (TSX:  CAS) is a leader in the recovery of recyclable materials  and manufacturing of green packaging products and tissue paper.

 
TheGreenBox+ thermomechanical process solution with hemicellulose hydrolysis and extraction was developed using a staged and systematic collaborative development approach including full-scale trials. The process is currently under construction in  collaboration with leading quipment supplier and  API partner Valmet.
GreenBox+ technology is a variation of API’s technologies, which also include Green Power+®,  GreenPower++™ and GreenPower3+™. These green technologies have wide applications in the renewable materials and fuels fields – ranging from corrugated pulp mills to pulp mill biomass boilers to 2G-ethanol production from cane.

This Cascades project – for a total investment of $26M– represents a major advance in biorefinery development in Canada and has been supported by the Canadian federal and provincial governments. This  innovative  new  process – a  Canadian  first –will be implemented in retrofit to the existing Cabano mill.

Through the implementation of GreenBox+ technology, the Cabano mill will replace its existing sodium carbonate-based chemical process, reducing its environmental footprint and realizing cost savings in terms of reduced energy consumption.“
American Process is pleased to have worked with Cascades, Valmet and EnVertis Consulting in the first commercial implementation of GreenBox+ –one of our  configurations  of  our  GreenPower+  pretreatments”, stated Theodora Retsina, the CEO of API.

“GreenPower+ pretreatments are robust, using thermomechanical configurations, conventional pulp  and paper equipment and API’s intellectual property, to create value-added products from the different fractions of  biomass. At the Cabano facility, the value-added products are hemicellulosic sugars for downstream conversionand corrugating medium. Our future GreenPower+ project configurations will include the production of ethanol, building on GreenPower+  pretreatments and the technology demonstrated at the Alpena Biorefinery in Michigan. We congratulate Cascades in this pioneering move and look forward to our continued collaboration.”

“We are pleased to have played a significant role in the development and ultimate implementation of this first commercial scale GreenBox+ plant with our partner American Process Inc. and our long time and valued innovative customer Cascades Inc. The basis for our delivery is our well-proven semichemical pulping technology customized to meet the cooking and refining requirements of the API GreenBox+ process technology,” according to Garth Russell responsible for Biomass Conversion and Mechanical Pulping Technologies at Valmet in North America.
“This type of project confirms our commitment to the industry we serve to diversify our customer’s product portfolio and improve their bottom line while at the same time reducing their carbon footprint.”
“This collaboration will enable improvements in the efficiency and competitiveness of our Cabano plant”, said Luc Pelletier, Cabano mill manager.
“We feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with Norampac-Cabano over the last years to develop this innovative strategy”, declared Virginie Chambost, President of EnVertis. “The path forward for the Cabano site looks very exciting”.

“Norampac supported our NSERC Chair in Design Engineering starting in 2008, and it is thrilling to see innovative projects identified at the university level come to fruition through  the  application  of  our  product  and  process design methodologies”, said Paul Stuart, Professor of Chemical Engineering at École Polytechnique.

Cascades Inc.

Founded in 1964, Cascades produces, converts and markets packaging and tissue products that are composed mainly of recycled fibres. Cascades employs almost 11,000 men and women, who work in more than 90 production units in North America and Europe. With its management philosophy, half a century of experience in recycling and continuous efforts in research and development as driving  orces, Cascades continues to deliver the innovative products that customers have come to rely on. Cascades’ shares trade on the Toronto Stock  Exchange under the ticker symbol CAS.

American Process Inc.

Founded in 1995, American Process is an engineering  and  technology company dedicated to the creation of value from biomass through process synthesis and project implementation. In  2012, Brazilian renewables company GranBio became an investor in API. API is focusing on pre-treatment technologies for the production of renewable materials, fuels and chemicals, through the conversion of biomass to intermediate fungible feedstock of cellulosic sugars. Sugar is the new crude®

Valmet Corporation

Valmet Corporation is a leading global developer and supplier of services and technologies for the pulp, paper and energy industries. Our 11,000 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers’ performance forward-every day. Valmet’s services cover everything from maintenance outsourcing to mill and plant improvements and spare parts. Our strong technology offering includes entire pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, biomass conversion equipment to produce biofuels and biochemicals as well as power plants for bio-energy production.

EnVertis Consulting Inc.

EnVertis is a leading consulting services company dedicated to assisting the forest, agriculture and allied sectors in identifying successful strategies for improving and/or transforming business models.

École Polytechnique

École Polytechnique is a world-class engineering institution for higher education. Through the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and our industry partners, leading edge-applied research is conducte to assist in the transformation of the forest products industry.

Source

American Process Inc., press release, 2015-06-22.

Supplier

American Process Inc.
Cascades Inc.
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
EnVertis Consulting
Vallés Plàstic

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