Date: July 22, 2011

(Finalized November 3, 2011)

Subject: Trip Report for Site Visit – AbiBow US Inc.

Risk and Technology review for pulp and paper production and combustion 

sources NESHAP

I. Purpose

The purpose of the site visit to AbiBow US Inc. in Catawba, South Carolina, was to 

obtain information about pulp and paper operations, equipment, and air pollution control 

devices. This information-gathering effort was part of regulatory development work for 

the Risk and Technology Review (RTR) for the National Emission Standards for 

Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the pulp and paper industry.

II. Place and Date

AbiBow US Inc. (Catawba Mill)

5300 Cureton Ferry Road, Catawba, SC 29704

(803) 981-8009

July 21, 2011

Mailing address:

P.O. Box 7, Catawba, SC 29704

III. Attendees

AbiBow US Inc.

• Dale Herendeen, Environmental Manager

• Larry Bowling, Environmental Affairs

• Allen Sanders, General Manager

• Steve Moore, URS

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Bill Schrock, Environmental Engineer, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards 

 (OAQPS)/Sector Polices and Programs Division (SPPD)/Natural Resources Group

 (NRG)

• John Bradfield, Environmental Engineer, OAQPS/SPPD/NRG

• Kelley Spence, Environmental Engineer, OAQPS/SPPD/NRG

• Katie Hanks, EPA Contractor, Research Triangle Institute (RTI)
IV. Visit Summary

The site visit began with a meeting to discuss mill background, safety, and the agenda of 

the visit. A flow chart of the process, provided by AbiBow, is attached (Attachment 1). 

Following the meeting, a tour of the facility was provided and the following areas were 

observed: woodyard, pulp mill, bleach plant, recovery area, caustic area, power house, 

wastewater treatment, and paper machine area. The information obtained during the site

visit and from the Information Collection Request (ICR) response is discussed below. 

The topics discussed are (A) General Information, (B) Pulp Mill, (C) Bleach Plant, (D) 

Paper Mill, (E) Chemical Recovery and Energy Generation, and (F) Wastewater 

Treatment.

A. General Information

AbitibiBowater operates 18 pulp and paper mills and 24 wood products facilities in the 

US, Canada, and South Korea. The company is the largest recycler of old newspapers and 

magazines in the US. The AbitibiBowater Catawba plant (NEI47077, RTI200) opened in 

1959 and employs approximately 780 people to produce commercial printing papers and 

market pulp. It was ISO 14001 certified in June of 2011 and participates in the Clean Air 

Works Program, as it is located in an ozone non-attainment area. In January 2011, the 

mill received the 2010 “Spare the Air” award from SCDHEC. It is one of the largest 

coated mechanical paper mills in the world and is the largest lightweight-coated (LWC) 

paper facility in North America. The facility is located on 1,800 acres near the Catawba 

River and is one of three US mills that are part of the EPA Voluntary Advanced 

Technology Incentives Program (VATIP). The facility has also reduced its water 

consumption by 20% since 2007 and its fossil fuel use by 65% since 2001. The mill has 

an annual production capacity of 878,000 metric tons and has three paper machines and 

one pulp dryer. The mill produces approximately 2,300-2,400 metric tons per day of 

market pulp and light weight coated paper. The facility is a fully integrated facility with a 

woodyard, pulp mill, bleach plant, chemical recovery and causticizing area, utilities, 

papermaking, and wastewater treatment. A flow diagram of the processes at the mill can 

be found in Attachment 1. 

B. Pulp Mill

The Catawba mill utilizes chemical and mechanical processes (kraft and TMP, 

respectively) for pulping softwood. Wood arrives to the woodyard at the mill in the form 

of logs and chips and is purchased in accordance with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. 

Logs are debarked and chipped, followed by chip screening and storage. Softwood chips 

as-received are screened and stored. Chips are retrieved from storage to be processed 

using the TMP or the kraft Process, Figure 1.
Chipping 

and 

Debarking

Chip 

Screens

Chips

Logs To Storage 

(TMP or Kraft)

Figure 1: Wood yard process flow diagram

The facility upgraded the kraft pulp mill in 2003 by replacing the original kraft mill that 

was built in 1959. The kraft process is used to produce approximately 1650 air-dried tons 

of unbleached pulp per day and the TMP process is used to produce approximately 800 

air-dried tons per day. The mill uses one continuous digester, installed in 2003, with an 

average production of 505,000 metric tons of unbleached pulp and two TMP systems 

with an average production of 240,000 tons per year, Figure 2 and 3. There are three 

TMP lines in each system, each utilizing three stages of refining. Fresh steam is used in 

the chip bin of the continuous digester to reduce emissions. Turpentine, 151,250 gallons 

per year, is produced and sold as a by-product from both processes. TMP is brightened 

using a totally chlorine free process (TCF). The TCF line utilizes sodium hydrosulfite as 

a brightening agent for TMP pulp and produces approximately 800 air-dried tons per day 

of brightened pulp.

Chip Surge 

Tube

Chips

Primary 

Refiner

Secondary 

Refiner

Screens Decker

Sodium 

Hydrosulfite 

Tower

Pulp

Figure 2: TMP process flow diagram
Figure 3: Kraft pulp mill process flow diagram

C. Bleach Plant

The bleach plant has one line which utilizes an elemental chlorine free (ECF) process. 

Chlorine dioxide is generated using the R10 process. The ECF line, Figure 4, utilizes a D

(EoP) D D sequence with oxygen delignification and produces approximately 1400-1500

metric air-dried tons of bleached pulp per day. The two stage oxygen delignification 

system results in 60% delignification prior to bleaching. The mill also uses sealed 

pressurized washers to wash brownstock and bleached pulp. The mill sells approximately 

40% of its pulp as market pulp and 60% is used to produce paper.
Figure 4: Bleach plant process flow diagram

D. Paper Mill

There are three paper machines (two twin-wire and one fourdriner) that produce 

approximately 1950 air-dried tons per day, Figure 5. PM1 was installed in 1962 and has a 

machine width of 240 inches and a maximum speed of 2,800 feet per minute. PM2 was 

installed in 1986 and last rebuilt in 1997; the machine width is 336 inches and the 

maximum speed is 4,100 feet per minute. PM3 was installed in 1968 and rebuilt in 2003, 

with a width of 354 inches and a maximum speed 4,025 feet per minute. There are also 

two off-machine coaters and one on-machine coater. The paper mill has a capacity of 

approximately 700,000 tons per year, with the main grades produced being coated 

groundwood papers, newsprint, freesheet, and softwood kraft market pulp. The mill also 

has one pulp dryer that produces approximately 600-800 air-dried tons per day, Figure 6.

Cleaners Screens Headbox

Forming 

Wire Presses Dryers

SW pulp 

Calender Reel Rereeler

Coater Reel

To Finishing/Shipping

Figure 5: Paper machine process flow diagram
Screens Decker Headbox

Cylinder 

Mold Presses Dryers

SW pulp 

Cutter Stacker Market Pulp 

Product

Figure 6: Pulp dryer process flow diagram

E. Chemical Recovery and Energy Generation

The mill has two recovery boilers, installed in 1966 and 1983, with a solids capacity of

approximately 2.0 and 4.0 million pounds per day, respectively. A fourth level of air was 

added to No. 3 recovery boiler as modifications to improve NOx emissions. The steam 

generated supplies 90-95% of the required mill process steam. The mill also has three 

sets of evaporators, one of which was updated in 2006. Chemical recovery and 

causticizing are shown in Figures 7 and 8. Steam from the recovery boilers and two 

power boilers is used to generate 20-30% of the electricity required to run the mill. The 

power boilers utilize bark, natural gas, and fuel oil. The facility also utilizes 5,000 - 9,000 

tons per year of tire-derived fuel, which is the equivalent of 750,000 tires annually. 

Approximately 54MW of electricity is generated onsite and the facility targets using less 

than 2% fossil fuel for energy generation.
Evaps

Recovery 

Boiler Concentrators

Smelt 

Dissolving 

Tank

Green 

Liquor 

Clarifier

To Causticizing

Liquor 

From 

Digesters

Smelt

Evaps

Evaps

Figure 7: Chemical recovery process flow diagram

Figure 8: Causticizing area process flow diagram
F. Wastewater Treatment

Approximately 28-33 million gallons of effluent per day are sent to wastewater treatment. 

The Catawba mill utilizes an aeration stabilization basin (ASB) system. A steam stripper 

is used to meet Cluster Rule requirements. The ASB is approximately 58 acres and 15 

feet deep and is monitored for pH, color, BOD, TSS, AOX, ammonia, and phosphorous. 

The wastewater treatment system includes a bar screen, primary clarifier, settling ponds, 

ASB, and holding basins, Figure 9. Sludge is collected from the primary clarifier, 

dewatered to 30-40% solids, and disposed of in sludge lagoons; the ash content of the 

sludge is too high for combustion and there are few local farmers to which it could be 

distributed for land application. 

The mill has a tertiary wastewater treatment system, installed in 1989, that can be used in 

extreme drought. After the ASB, water is treated with alum, sulfuric acid, sodium 

hydroxide, and a cationic polymer and transported to an air flotation clarifier. This 

process removes 96% of the color and 75% of the remaining BOD in the water. Treated 

wastewater is then hard piped to the holding basin, just prior to outlet to the river. The 

tertiary treatment is expensive to operate, only operated during extreme drought, and can 

process approximately 14 million gallons per day. The section of the river that the mill 

uses to collect and discharge water is free flowing and, in 2000, the mill upgraded the 

diffuser used for discharge. The new diffuser promotes better mixing by maintaining the 

outlet flow velocity, regardless of discharge volume.

Mix Box Bar 

Screen

Primary 

Clarifier

Holding 

Basins

Aerated 

Biotreatment

Settling 

Pond

Treated 

wastewater

Effluent

Sanitary waste from 

treatment plant

Figure 9: Wastewater treatment process flow diagram
Attachment 1