Pulp and paper company Domtar converted its paper mill located in Kingsport, Tennessee, US, into a containerboard production facility.
The mill was officially designated Domtar’s first facility to produce 100% recycled packaging exclusively in January 2023.
Recommended White Papers
Recommended Buyers Guides
Domtar held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the reopening of the Kingsport Mill in May 2023.
The conversation of the Kingsport mill included an investment of approximately $350m.
The project is a significant part of the company’s long-term plan to develop its containerboard business, aligning its uncoated freesheet capacity according to customer demand.
The project is supported by the State of Tennessee and NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership.
Domtar’s containerboard production facility location
Domtar’s containerboard production facility in Kingsport is located conveniently in the Southeastern US, making it easily accessible to more than 60 independent box makers in the region, who account for approximately four million tonnes of annual containerboard demand.
The company sources raw materials from 72 recovered paper suppliers in 116 locations within a seven-state radius of the facility.
Kingsport mill conversion details
The project involved the construction of a new warehouse and the remodelling of an existing paper mill building to manufacture containerboard products.
It enables the company to enter a growing market with a low-cost, highly competitive asset.
The facility has an annual production and commercial capacity of 600,000 tonnes (t) of high-quality recycled liner board and corrugated medium.
It houses the second-largest containerboard machine in North America.
Domtar teamed up with the supermarket chain Food City for corrugated recycling.
The partnership involves collecting and recycling old corrugated containers from Food City’s 140 stores, which would otherwise go to landfill, to produce 100% recycled performance linerboard and medium at the mill.
Details of the existing facility
Established in 1916, the Kingsport pulp and paper mill had an economic impact of approximately $714m in the region.
The paper mill featured machinery capable of producing approximately 4,500ft per minute and utilises up to 100% of its manufacturing waste.
Sustainability features
The company optimised the use of carbon-neutral biomass fuel to enhance operational energy efficiency.
Approximately 72% of the energy used in the company’s mills is generated from renewable biomass, particularly from wood processing and pulping byproducts.
Since 2010, Domtar has reduced greenhouse gas emissions from its pulp and paper mills by 19% by replacing older coal systems with natural gas systems.
Domtar’s mills are mostly fuelled by renewable energy, and the company has set public goals to minimise waste, water, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Contractors involved
In October 2020, Domtar signed an agreement with technology company Voith to supply equipment and technical services for converting the paper machine at its Kingsport mill.
Voith also supplied a comprehensive recycled stock preparation system for the Kingsport mill.
The system included water, sludge, and reject handling components, aiming to maximise both efficiency and quality.
In July 2021, Domtar chose Andritz, a technology company, to supply equipment and provide technical services for converting a power boiler and a recovery boiler at the Kingsport paper mill.
The company also supplied equipment for the mill to retrofit an existing bubbling fluidised bed power boiler.
Domtar’s product portfolio
The company offers a range of pulp products such as Lighthouse® fluff pulp, paper-grade pulp, speciality pulp and engineered absorbent materials.
The broad category of uncoated papers includes printing and digital papers, high-quality office papers, and innovative converting and speciality papers.
Domtar’s paper brands include Xerox®, EarthChoice®, ImagePrint®, Willcopy® Cougar®, Lynx®, and Husky®.
The products in the personal care segment include adult incontinence products, products for infants and children, and other absorbent hygiene solutions.
The personal care product range includes brands such as Attends, Indas, and My Comfees®.
Marketing commentary on Domtar
Domtar provides a range of fibre-based products, including communication, pulp, speciality, and packaging papers, as well as personal care products such as baby nappies.
The company employs approximately 13,000 people and serves more than 50 countries around the globe.
It operates through manufacturing facilities, including paper and paper mills in various locations in the US and Canada.
