Liberty Paper Set to Break Ground on Wastewater Project

Liberty Paper Inc., based in Becker, Minn., is close to breaking ground on a project that will treat the plant's wastewater while capturing the methane gas naturally produced during the treatment process. The methane gas will be used to help fuel the mill, which recycles 250,000 tons of old corrugated containers (OCC) per year into paperboard products.

Larry Newell, LPI general manager, says the company will hold the official groundbreaking on the facility April 5, 2012, with the project being completed by the end of the year. “The construction of this facility is a cooperative effort among Liberty Paper, the city of Becker, Sherburne County, the St. Paul Port Authority, Xcel Energy and the Initiative Foundation, a regional resource for job creation and economic development. We are working together to ensure the pre-treatment facility meets the needs of our municipal partners while positioning us for future growth.”

Newell adds that the genesis for the project began in 1994 when the paper company first built the recycled board mill.

Liberty says it uses nearly 550,000 gallons of water per day, which will be pretreated on site before it is routed to the city’s industrial wastewater treatment plant. A biogas generator, which will be built as part of the project, will capture the methane gas produced during the treatment process. The methane fuel then will be used to help power the mill.

“The biogas generator operation reinforces our commitment to green energy,” Newell says. “We want to do our part to make our community a great place to work and live.”

The company says it expects to invest around $15 million on the project. The investment is the largest single capital investment the company has made since the mill opened in 1995. The water treatment facility is expected to be fully operational by mid-December 2012.