Inauguration of the Alain-Lemaire Solar Park

The solar park in Kingsey Falls is the only facility of its kind in Canada.

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On October 20, 2014, we inaugurated the Alain-Lemaire Solar Park installed by the young Sherbrooke-based company Rackam. The  powerful concentrated solar power system will allow Cascades to reduce the consumption of natural gas used to produce the hot water required for operations at its Kingsey Falls industrial complex. The project is a first in the pulp and paper industry!

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Interesting facts:

• Cascades consumes 52% less energy than the Canadian pulp and paper industry average.
• The solar plant has a surface area of 1490 m² on a 4000 m² lot.
• We estimate production at more than 1 MWh a year.
• More than 4440 GJ a year will be used to heat 87 500 m³ of pressurized water to a temperature of 106^oC to 118^oC.
• The facility will result in savings of 139 700 m³ of natural gas annually.
• The complex will reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 265 equivalent tonnes of CO₂ per year, or 5300 tonnes of CO₂ over 20 years.

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With the commissioning of the Alain-Lemaire Solar Park, Cascades is reaffirming its position as a leader in energy efficiency. Such a project would never have come into being without the vision and values instilled in Cascades by the Lemaire brothers. For many years, Alain Lemaire, co-founder of the Company, had hoped to make Kingsey Falls a technological showcase for a green and renewable energy project. That is why we are pleased to name the project the “Alain-Lemaire Solar Park” in his honour. We hope that this initiative will inspire other businesses to follow suit!

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