Domtar to break ground on biomass plant

Construction on a proposed biomass plant in Rothschild, Wisconsin, US, is due to begin shortly, after Domtar, a paper company behind the proposal, agreed to certain conditions.

The plant, which is a joint venture between Domtar and energy firm We Energies, was originally announced back in September 2009. According to Craig Timm, manager of public affairs at Domtar, the project is due to break ground soon, although the exact date is not yet known. However, it is expected to be up and running by 2013.

Approximately 400 jobs will be created while the plant is being built, in addition to a further 150 fulltime jobs that will become available when it comes online.

'We are the host site,' says Timm. 'We get the steam from the project. The rest of it, the electricity, goes on the grid and it is sold and, like you normally would for power out to the citizens of Wisconsin.'

The Wisconsin Public Service Commission imposed the changes.