Idled Quebec pulp mill to restart as Nordic Kraft

Quebec forest products company Chantiers Chibougamau plans to restart the Lebel-sur-Quévillon pulp mill and cogeneration facility under the new name Nordic Kraft in 2020.

According to The Montreal Gazette, the idled mill, which was owned by Domtar until 2005 and purchased by Chantier Chibougamau in 2018, will employ about 300 people at an average salary of $90,000 per year.

The company has already employed about 180 people to begin work on recommissioning the mill’s equipment and adding new digital technologies. Chantiers Chibougamau is also looking to fill roles including industrial mechanics, instrumentation and control, lab technicians, welders, engineers, and more. See the list of roles here.

The government of Quebec will own a minority stake in the mill and is fronting about 40 per cent of the $342 million investment, including a 10-year loan for $120 million.

Nordic Kraft’s website indicates the increased demand for tissue and consumer products that require kraft packaging led to the decision to restart the mill. The mill will source softwood chips from sawmills in Quebec to produce about 300,000 tons of pulp annually.