RUMFORD – MeadWestvaco will soon be using more of the natural gas flowing from the nearby Calpine plant to heat a portion of the mill.

Scott Reed, an engineer for the paper company, said the mill is in the process of applying for an air emission license from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection that will allow the change from steam heat to heat provided by stand-alone heaters using natural gas. The steam heat has been produced by burning a combination of oil and natural gas.

About 20 percent of the mill will be affected by the change, including the areas housing paper finishing equipment. Just over a $500,000 will be used to make the conversion.

The new heaters will also decrease the overall amount of air emissions. Reed estimated a decrease annually of 5.6 tons of sulfur dioxide, .2 ton of particulate ash and 17 tons of nitrous oxide. The amount of carbon dioxide, however, will increase by 7.7 tons a year because of the firing up process for the gas-fueled, stand-alone heaters.

Although there will be no change in the amount of odor coming from the mill, Reed said the reduction in emissions will be a long-term benefit.

The natural gas will come from Rumford Power Associates, owned by Calpine, located off Route 108.

Reed said stand-alone, gas-fueled heaters will replace some of the other steam heaters over time. The use of natural gas is also expected to be less costly than the combined use of oil and natural gas.

He said construction for the heaters is expected to start within two to three months, with the job completed before winter.

eadams@sunjournal.com

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