West Fraser Timber will permanently reduce capacity at its pulp mill in Hinton, Alberta, Canada, by the end of this year. One of Hinton Pulp’s two production lines will shut, and the remaining line will produce Unbleached Kraft Pulp (“UKP”) rather than Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft Pulp (“NBSK”).
“Hinton Pulp has been in operation since 1956 and these changes are necessary to simplify our operation, reduce capital requirements and greenhouse gas emissions, and better align with consumer expectations,” said Ray Ferris, President & CEO, West Fraser.
The capacity reduction will see staffing levels transition from 345 positions to 270.
Since late 2021, the mill has undertaken several product trials and received positive initial customer feedback as to the quality and strength of the pulp produced. Currently, mill employees are preparing for the transition after satisfying all existing customer commitments for NBSK.
West Fraser is a diversified wood products company with more than 60 facilities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
