Mercer International’s subsidiary Mercer Peace River Pulp Ltd. has started operating a carbon dioxide capture demonstration unit at its kraft pulp mill in Peace River, Alberta. The project, run with Svante Technologies, will test Svante’s solid-sorbent capture system on biogenic CO2 from the recovery boiler flue gas. The pilot follows earlier FEL-2 pre-FEED work on design and integration. Mercer said the unit will run about six months to collect performance data in normal operations and inform potential future scale-up decisions.
According to the company, the demonstration is expected to provide insight on capture rates, energy use, maintenance needs, and how the system handles variable mill conditions over the coming cycle. Results are intended to support the next engineering stage and guide Mercer’s longer-term decarbonization planning for biogenic emissions across its Canadian pulp operations. Svante is positioning the trial as a step toward validating modular capture equipment for the pulp and paper sector, where recovery boilers are major point sources. Any move to commercial-scale deployment would depend on technical outcomes, cost, and broader commercial viability, including potential policy incentives for carbon capture and storage or utilization. The Peace River mill produces northern bleached softwood and hardwood kraft pulp for global customers.
Why it matters
If the pilot performs well, it could strengthen the business case for carbon capture at pulp mills and shape future project financing and policy support for industrial decarbonization in Canada.
Source Attribution
Source: Wood Business | Adapted & summarized
Published on: 29 December 2025
Category: Energy
Region: Canada
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URL Slug: mercer-svante-carbon-capture-peace-river-pilot
