An infestation of Mountain Pine Beetle has been sweeping eastward across Canada, killing off 90% of the lodgepole pine stands through British Columbia and moving into Alberta. This represents a serious national challenge that is devastating forestry-reliant communities in areas affected by the beetle.

I-CAN is part of a multi-year research project to develop the technology, processes and knowledge needed to convert this mountain pine beetle-killed wood into high-quality newsprint paper. The difficult chemistry, colour and characteristics of pine wood killed by the beetle makes it unsuited for this use without major adjustments to the pulping and press process.

This I-CAN project promises to convert a waste wood product into a valuable commodity, prevent healthy trees from being cut for pulping and save community reliant on pulping mills from economic hardship.

View backgrounder brochure HERE.

View News Release HERE.

I-CAN member Alberta Research Council researchers have created five separate sensors to detect the different characteristics inherent in mountain pine beetle-killed wood. These sensors are being installed in the pulping and paper mill at Alberta Newsprint Company in Whitecourt, Alberta.

As each different truckload of woodchips goes through processing at Alberta Newsprint Company, there are varying percentages of mountain pine beetle-killed wood, with varying characteristics such as dryness and pitch levels. The sensors will detect these traits and trigger adjustments in the processing steps, such as water addition, bleach, and heat.

Even with these adjustments, the fibre pulp from the beetle-killed wood is inherently weaker, requiring a different pressing machine in order to ensure the paper doesn’t break as it moves through the rollers, which press water out of the moist pulp and create a continuous roll of newsprint paper .

To compensate for this weaker fibre pulp, an adapted Shoe Press from Germany will be installed at Alberta Newsprint Company, allowing a wider roller-to-pulp contact surface area with superior bonding.

View process adjustments visual representation HERE.