Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Newsprint manufacturers have in recent years been experiencing an extremely difficult time due to the challenges created by the popularity of electronic media and the continued increase of the electrical energy costs. To overcome the current challenges, newsprint manufacturers using thermomechanical pulp (TMP) are striving to improve their TMP processes to save production costs or to produce high value-added products. The overall objective of this project is to develop innovative enzyme technologies for saving energy in the TMP process, which include developing bio-technologies for the TMP process and identifying and producing cost-effective and process-compatible enzymes. Two leading TMP mills in Atlantic Canada, Irving Paper Inc. (NB) and NewPage Corporation (NS), will be supporting and participating in this project. In this project, we will use an innovative approach that will enable us to achieve our ultimate goals. Specifically, we will focus on developing commercially applicable technologies; focus on the fundamentals of the enzyme actions on wood and fibre structure; and use leading-edge genomic and proteomic technologies to identify synergistic combinations of microbial proteins for bioprocessing wood chips. Canada is one of the major newsprint manufacturers in the world. The technologies to be developed will benefit not only the two participating companies, but also the other newsprint mills across the country. This project will attract and train several HQP's for the pulp and paper industry. This project will also help build a strong innovative research capacity in the participating institutes and industrial partners, which will be a vital force for this industry to sustain and to remain competitive in the global market.