Nippon Paper participates in pilot program using excess Bonneville Power wind power at Port Angeles, Washington, facility, allowing pulping machine to run faster

Audrey Dixon

LOS ANGELES , November 10, 2011 (Forestweb) – Nippon Paper Industries USA Co. is taking part in a pilot program at its pulp and paper mill in Port Angeles, Washington, to use excess power generated at wind farms in the Pacific Northwest operated by Bonneville Power Authority (BPA), the Environmental Leader reported Nov. 8.

The BPA program allows the mill to run its pulping machine at faster production speeds that are less energy-efficient, according to the article in the New York Times.

The mill averages 53 megawatts of power, but has the capacity to utilize 73 MW, reported the Environmental Leader.

BPA is paying for the pilot program, which through central controls first sends the excess power to home water and space heaters.

However, the mill provides a way to use up additional, much larger quantities of the overflow power, solving the excess electricity problem for BPA and helping the mill ramp up production on the energy-consuming pulping machine.

Mill Manager Harold Norlund said BPA could call the mill saying it has excess energy for 24 hours and asking if Nippon could handle it, the Environmental Leader reported.

The Port Angeles mill is dedicated to production of paper for telephone directories in North America and is part of the Japan-based Nippon Paper Group.

The primary source of this article is the Environmental Leader, Fort Collins, Colorado, on Nov. 8, 2011.

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