Paper giant continues project to shift truck freight to water

TROIS-RIVIERES, Que. — A Quebec government-funded pilot project to shift loads of woodchips off of roads and on to marine transportation has been extended.

In the presence of Transport Minister Julie Boulet, pulp and paper giant Kruger Inc. announced that it will prolong the project to transport chips from the North Shore sawmills to the Kruger Wayagamack mill in Trois-Rivières by water.

Thanks to additional government support, the Kruger Wayagamack Mill dock was restored and the company can better optimize river transport performance so that barges may be unloaded directly at the mill dock, says Daniel Archambault, vice-president of manufacturing at the Trois-Rivières and Kruger Wayagamack mills.

Both the government and the company say the system will have a significant impact on highway traffic, sustainable development and protection of the environment. They guess about 18,000 one-way truck trips per year will be eliminated, involving both highways and the Tadoussac ferry.

Kruger is engaged in the manufacturing and sale of newsprint, specialty grades, lightweight coated paper, directory paper, tissue, recycled linerboard, corrugated containers, lumber and other wood products. It is also the parent company of Scott Paper, a leading tissue manufacturer in Canada.