Lebel-sur-Quévillon kraft pulp mill
About
The family business Chantiers Chibougamau, founded in 1961, owns the kraft pulp mill in Lebel-sur-Quévillon, now known as Nordic Kraft.
Since acquiring the plant in 2017, more than CA$400 million has been invested to provide the market with a modernized and efficient plant, processing even more black spruce than when "Quévillon pulp" was all the rage.
OVER 80%
The minimum percentage of Quebec black spruce chips in the plant’s supply.
FSC®
As early as 2009, Chantiers Chibougamau was the first private company to meet the Forest Stewardship Council ® (FSC) Standard and became the first to renew its certification under the enhanced criteria in 2019. The multi-site certificate, which includes Lebel-sur-Quévillon, was obtained in 2020.
41.3 MW
Consolidating the carbon footprint of the pulp it produces and solidifying the mill’s foundation, Nordic Kraft has a 25-year, 41.3 MW renewable energy production contract with the Crown corporation Hydro-Québec.
91.5 KM
The total length of optical fiber installed in the plant to make it a leader in the 21st century and which supports, in particular, 150 HD cameras that ensure the agile supervision of production.
Mill
A plant ready to meet high expectations
The Nordic Kraft mill is located north of Quebec’s commercial boreal forest, internationally renowned for its black spruce, which is known to impart strength and surface smoothness to Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) Q90 pulp.
Black spruce grows slowly in the colder climate of Northeastern Canada and this generates a fine, thin fiber with a low wall thickness. It is also long and particularly strong, which makes it an ideal fiber for use in tissue and fine paper manufacturing processes.
Users of Nordic Kraft pulp benefit in a number of ways:
- NBSK pulp reduces the total softwood pulp consumption of a recipe.
- The strength of NBSK pulp allows for increased production speed.
- A more efficient bleaching process
Historically, until 2005, the pulp from Lebel-sur-Quévillon was mainly integrated into the production of fine papers; with the relaunch came major investments that enable the plant to meet the different standards of tissue paper producers. In fact, a brand-new chlorine dioxide (ClO2) production workshop has been installed, with the world-renowned equipment manufacturer Erco.
At the cutting edge of technology, the workshop will generate more ClO2 than current pulp production capacity can process. The environmental impact of bleaching at Lebel-sur-Quévillon, already enviable at the time by virtue of its 6-stage bleaching process which made it possible to optimize the dosage of chemical products and reduce waste, is now consolidated: a residue from the ClO2 production process becomes an additional input for the liquor cycle, the concentration of halogenated organic compounds (HOC) in the pulp is markedly reduced and there is no longer a need to overcook the chips, thus reducing material and energy consumption.
Product
| PULP CHARACTERISTICS | TEST METHOD | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Properties | ||
| Brightness (%) | ISO 2470-1 | 88+ |
| Viscosity (mPa-s) | TAPPI T230 | Min.: 15 |
| Target: 20 | ||
| Total Dirt (mm2/m2) | ISO 5350-2 | Target: <1 |
| Max.: 5 | ||
| Moisture (% p/p) | TAPPI T210 | 15% |
| Dry basic weight (lb /3000 pi2) | TAPPI T410 | 545 |
| Sheet thickness (mm) | 1.05 to 1.10 | |
| Chemical properties | ||
| DCM extractables | TAPPI T204 | < 0.05% |
| Ash content | TAPPI T211 | < 0.10% |
| FIBER ANALYSIS | ||
| Average length (LW) (mm) | FQA, TAPPI T272 | 2.2 to 2.5 |
| Coarseness (mg/100m) | FQA, TAPPI T271 | 14 |
| Other properties | ||
| Pulp | Without talcum, ECF | |
| Wood species | 100% softwood | |
| Black Spruce | 80% | |
| Jack Pine | 15% | |
| Balsam Fir | 5% | |
| BALES CHARACTERISTICS | IMPERIAL UNit | METRIC UNIT |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 28 in. | 71 cm |
| Height | 16 in. | 41 cm |
| Length | 32 in. | 81 cm |
| Weight | 550 lbs | 250 kg |
| Wrapper | One layer with pulp | |
| Wires | 1 x 1 | |
| Assembly for export | 6 bales | |
Our FSC®-certified pulp is available on request.
For more information about our products:
caroline.arvisais@nordic.ca
514-349-4323
Jobs
Send us your application at
We welcome individuals who are interested in joining our team to make the Nordic Kraft mill one of the most productive, agile and efficient in North America. Those who choose us from the various options in the job market will help produce softwood kraft pulp, which is recognized as one of the best in the world. Most importantly, they will help make an essential pulp for tissue papers, such as toilet paper, and food packaging that replaces plastic, and is therefore far less polluting, recyclable, renewable and compostable.
While we would like as many of our employees as possible to settle and live in the Lebel-sur-Quévillon community, we recognize that relocation can be a complex undertaking. If you are not already a resident of the Lebel-sur-Quévillon area, we therefore also offer flexible accommodation, transportation and hospitality options so that we are not deprived of the contribution and talent of those who choose a career with us.
If you are considering moving to our region and experiencing the adventure of living in Northern Quebec, please watch this video for a foretaste of the exceptional features of Lebel-sur-Quévillon. When the time comes, if you decide to take the plunge, whether upon being hired or after working a few months with us, our team will be there to support you and provide assistance, in many forms, to ensure a successful relocation.
Lastly, for a quick look at the tax incentives of settling in Level-sur-Quévillon:
Contact
Mill
30 chemin du Moulin, P.O. box 219,
Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Quebec J0Y 1X0
819-755-3171
Sales
caroline.arvisais@nordic.ca
514-349-4323
To report a situation, or if you have questions, feedback, or complaints on environmental matters:
communaute.lsq@nordic.ca