Paper & Pulp Mills
European pulp and paper industry urges EU ETS benchmark freeze Cepi and Europe's pulp and paper sector are calling on the European Commission to freeze EU Emissions Trading System benchmark values for 2026-2030, warning the proposed cuts — based on 2021-2022 data — could drain roughly €1 billion per year from decarbonization investment and expose most installations to maximum 50% benchmark reductions. Director General Jori Ringman said the reductions rest on "now obsolete projections which do not reflect current market conditions." Source: Papnews
Suzano's Cerrado mill set to run above nameplate capacity Suzano expects its Cerrado pulp mill in Brazil to produce about 2.57 million tonnes in 2026, topping its 2.55 million-tonne design capacity, and to reach roughly 2.7 million tonnes annually from 2027. The company says the additional volume requires no further capital expenditure, reflecting efficiency gains since the mill's July 2024 startup. Source: Papnews
Forestry & Timber
Second firefighter dies from Robbins Lumber silo explosion injuries Assistant Chief Wayne Woodbury, 76, died June 14 of injuries sustained in the May 15 fire and silo explosion at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont, Maine, which also killed firefighter Andrew Cross and injured twelve others. Officials ruled the fire accidental, originating in the area of the unloader mechanism at the base of the silo; the mill returned to full operations on May 26. Source: Woodworking Network
Oregon completes first state-contracted reforestation on federal land under Good Neighbor Authority The Oregon Department of Forestry and the Ochoco National Forest planted more than 74,000 ponderosa pine seedlings across 424 acres of the Crazy Creek Fire burn area — the first Oregon reforestation project executed through a state-administered planting contract under the Good Neighbor Authority, building on a Forest Service effort that replanted about 3,000 acres with over 500,000 seedlings. Source: Woodworking Network
Co-generation at Mills
US Endowment offers up to $500,000 to study converting closed mills to bioenergy The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities is seeking proposals to evaluate repurposing shuttered wood-products and paper facilities into bioenergy operations, offering up to $500,000 in pre-development funding for one or two sites; proposals are due August 6. The program responds to the loss of more than 40 pulp and paper mills since 2015. Source: Woodworking Network