Forestry innovation in western Newfoundland: Lyocell and diversification at Corner Brook pulp and paper limited

Gosse, Michelle (2019) Forestry innovation in western Newfoundland: Lyocell and diversification at Corner Brook pulp and paper limited. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The past decades have seen a decline in the production and export of both pulp and newsprint partly due to technological substitutions such as digital newspaper subscriptions and newspaper (media) apps. The potential development of a new bio-based product (lyocell pulp fluff) at Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Limited (CBPPL) is one way to build a new bio-based industry in western Newfoundland. Since its inception in 1972, Lyocell (a cellulose fiber) has been used for many applications such as textiles, hygiene products, cosmetic products, and protective clothing. This paper proposes the development of Lyocell fluff pulp for the steadily growing sustainable hygiene product market and uses a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis to determine the competitive intensity and attractiveness of this new industry. CBPPL (and Corner Brook) are well suited for the development of a new value-driven product. CBPPL has waterfront access to an ice-free port, access to production material via 1.5 million hectares of Crown land on Newfoundland’s western and central regions and partnerships with local sawmills and low-cost energy from the nearby Deer Lake hydroelectric power plant (owned and operated by CBPPL). Since CBPPL already has a chemical digester for wood pulp and access to spare storage and production facilities, the financial cost of developing a new product would be lower than creating a new facility. This paper focuses on highlighting the strengths of CBPPL and Corner Brook as a potential site for future innovation through the development of an industrial demonstration facility where cutting-edge bio-resource innovators and researchers can test their products before bringing them to full market scale. As Newfoundland does not have a bio-economy framework in place, several recommendations to fill in policy gaps and formulate a structure for innovation which will create an open dialogue for future progress in Newfoundland will be provided.

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