AbitibiBowater to Shutter, Idle Mills

AbitibiBowater Inc., one of the largest newsprint manufacturers in North America, said it plans to close four paper mills, idle operations at others.
The Montreal-based company, formed last month from the merger of
Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. and Bowater Inc., said the production changes, which will take place during the first quarter of next year, will lower its newsprint and commercial printing paper production capacity by about 1 million metric tons per year.
The mills slated for permanent closure are Belgo, Dalhousie, Fort William and Lufkin. One paper machine at the company's Gatineau facility in Quebec will also be permanently shut down. All but the Belgo and Dalhousie facilities previously stood idle; the idled operations had a combined capacity of 650,000 metric tons.
AbitibiBowater also plans to indefinitely idle two Canadian paper mills, the Donnacona and Mackenzie, as well as two sawmills tied to paper production at the Mackenzie facility.