By Tony Kryzanowski, Cleantech Canada.

WHITECOURT, Alta.—Millar Western Forest Products Ltd. has spent more than $42 million on a new facility to convert biological waste from its Whitecourt, Alta. pulp mill into biogas.

The first use of anaerobic digestion technology at a chemi-thermo-mechanical pulp (BCTMP) mill in the Western Hemisphere, the major cleantech project will test the process in the coldest climate yet.

“The project was a long term fit for our pulp mill,” Ron Reis, senior vice-president of Millar Western’s pulp division, said. “We recognized that environmental issues today are a growing concern for the public and we wanted to put the mill in a position where we could do a better job in the future both from a greenhouse gas emissions and organics discharged into the river point of view.”