Fibrek extends to about five weeks its earlier-announced repair-related weeklong shutdown of NBSK market pulp mill in Saint-Félicien, Québec

Diane Keaton

LOS ANGELES , August 7, 2012 (Industry Intelligence Inc.) – Fibrek Inc.’s earlier-announced approximately one week shut of its northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) market pulp mill in Saint-Félicien, Québec, is being extended by about four more weeks, for a total of about five weeks, according to market sources.

The 375,000 tonnes/year mill went down starting about a week ago in order to carry out repairs on the electrostatic precipitator.

The reason for the extended shut has not yet been confirmed by Industry Intelligence.

On July 27, Fibrek announced that it was temporarily shutting the mill for about one week in order to carry out the repairs.

At the time, Fibrek said the shut was being taken “to avoid excessive particulate emissions into the atmosphere” and that the move “attests to the commitment of Fibrek's new management to improve the Company's environmental performance.”

Fibrek is in the process of being merged with Resolute Forest Products Inc. On Aug. 1, the two companies announced that RFP Acquisition Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Resolute, had amalgamated with Fibrek, resulting in Resolute indirectly owning 100% of the shares of Fibrek.

On June 15, Fibrek announced that it would be idling the Saint-Félicien mill for 12 days of market-related downtime, starting on June 23, to help control inventory. It said the measure would affect about 12,000 tonnes of production.

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