Why does pulp and paper dominate Ontario?

Question

Why does pulp and paper dominate Ontario?

Answer 1

Its location, probably. Timber can be transported from northwest forests to the mills using the great lakes. The niagra escarpment provides a lot of hydroelectric power. This is used to turn brine into lye and chlorine. The lye is used in paper manufacture and chlorine can be used to bleach finished paper. The brine is brought from the ocean down the St. Lawerence seaway.

Answer 2

Perennial grasses have been identified in Canada,Ontario and Scandinavia as close substitutes for hardwood

trees in pulp and paper applications.For existing mills located in agricultural regions, these dedicated fibre crops

could provide a stable, cost-competitive supply of fibre with a quality superior to most agricultural residues.

AGRICULTURAL FIBRES IN THE PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY ARE USED.

Switchgrass has been researched by REAP-Canada in Quebec and Ontario since the beginning of the 1990’s, with support from Natural Resources Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.These studies found switchgrass to

be easily pulped using the kraft, soda and soda-AQ processes with acceptable and similar pulp yields to wood.

Main attributes:

1.Stable and productive yields: 6-13 ODT ha-1yr-1

2.Drought tolerant and well adapted to marginal soils

3.Ash contents of 2.5-3.5 % for spring harvested material compared to 6-10% for cereal straws in western Canada

4.Minimizes competition for land with high value cash crops and provides access to agricultural land for fibre production

that is not well suited for tree growing

5.Lower estimated delivered cost to mills than hardwood chips in eastern Canada.

The key to the production of a long term, stable, low cost supply of agricultural fibre for the pulp and paper industry

is the development of high yielding crops adapted to lower quality farmland. Perennial grass fibre crops such as

switchgrass meet both these criteria.

These factors have helped Ontario dominate in paper production.

For pdf file:

http://www.reap-canada.com/online_librar...