Hinton Bioenergy CCS Project

The Hinton Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage Project is a proposed bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project at the Hinton pulp mill site in Hinton, Alberta. The study is led by Vault 44.01 in collaboration with West Fraser and TorchLight Bioresources. It would capture and permanently store biogenic CO₂ emissions from the pulp mill, removing roughly 1.3 million tonnes of CO₂ per year from the atmosphere. Because the captured CO₂ is biogenic, the project generates permanent negative emissions (carbon removal), which could be used by hard to decarbonize sectors such as aviation, shipping, aluminum, and steel to offset their emissions. The current phase is a demonstration study valued at approximately $11.8 million, supported by $3.25 million in funding from Emissions Reduction Alberta, which draws on the provincial Technology Innovation Emissions Reduction (TIER) Fund. The project carries an active status. The host facility has changed hands. West Fraser Timber announced in July 2023 that it would sell its unbleached softwood kraft pulp mill in Hinton to Mondi Group plc, a global packaging and paper company, with the sale completing in early 2024. Under the deal, West Fraser continues to supply fibre to the mill under a long-term contract via residuals from its Alberta sawmills. Mondi, subject to pre engineering and permitting, signaled an intention to invest €400 million to expand the mill, primarily for a new 200,000 tonne per year kraft paper machine targeted to start up in the second half of 2027.