Competitive Energy Grants from Efficiency Maine Support Twin Rivers Paper Company’s Recovery

Augusta, ME December 13, 2010 Grants from Efficiency Maine to reduce energy costs will help Twin Rivers Paper lower their energy costs and provide increased job security for 650 workers employed at their mill in Madawaska. To cut operating costs and improve their competitiveness, the mill is using four energy grants from Efficiency Maine to complete energy efficiency projects implementing a cost reduction plan. The energy grants, totaling $1.3 million, were awarded to the mill through a competitive application process. 

Two of the grants will be used to fund heat recovery projects, reducing the mill’s fossil fuel consumption by approximately 1 Million gallons of oil per year, enough to heat nearly 1,000 homes. By capturing waste steam from the paper making process and reusing it to heat process water and the mill, the company expects to save approximately $2 million in operating costs annually. Grant funds for the two heat recovery projects are provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) and administered by Efficiency Maine. 

The remaining two grants are funding upgrades to nearly 40 high efficiency drives throughout the facility, reducing electrical consumption by 6 Million kWh each year for the next 10 years, at a cost of 1.9 cents/kWh. The energy savings is equivalent to the electric consumption of 950 homes each year. Funding for the equipment updates was made possible by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (or RGGI). 

“With support from our stakeholders, including Efficiency Maine, we are reinventing ourselves as a low cost specialty papers manufacturer,” stated Phil Nadeau, P.E., engineering manager at Twin Rivers. “Being a sustainable company means saving money on every front. We are a new company and these projects would not have happened without support from these grants.” 

“The mill had a choice to buy 10 years of electricity supply at the market price or pay less than half as much for avoided electricity, and with Efficiency Maine’s help Twin Rivers Paper was able to access the lower cost resource,” said Ian Burnes, program manager at Efficiency Maine. “Through a combination of Recovery Act and Greenhouse Gas Initiative funding, we are leveraging private investment to improve the business climate in Aroostook County and deliver lower cost energy.” 

Efficiency Maine is an independent trust that invests in cost-effective projects to reduce energy costs in Maine. For more information about business programs offered through Efficiency Maine visit http://efficiencymaine.com/at-work or call 1-866-376-2463 (1-866-ES-MAINE).

********************

Editorial Contact:
Dave Deger
Director, Business Development and Marketing
(207) 523-2355
Email:

Twin Rivers Paper Company is an integrated specialty paper company that manufactures packaging, label and publishing products for targeted markets and applications. The company has operations in Maine and New Brunswick. For more information, visit us on the web at www.twinriverspaper.com.