The Government of Canada is providing $1.89 million (£1m) to help improve energy efficiency and reduce fossil fuel use and emissions at a pulp mill.

Domtar aims to transform woody biomass into value-added bio-products, including advanced biofuels, at its Windsor Mill in Quebec.

Its cogeneration plant currently produces nearly 50MW of renewable energy – equivalent to the annual power use of 12,800 single-family homes.

The mill supports more than 825 local jobs and is said to have one of the lowest rates of water use in North America for a mill of its category.

Mark DeAndrea, Domtar Biomaterials Vice President said: “Domtar’s partnership with Natural Resources Canada is playing an integral role in helping Domtar leverage existing paper mill supply chains to continue to expand its capabilities around transforming biomass – which has traditionally been burned to provide energy to a mill – into a wide range of industrial applications as a sustainable and biodegradable alternative to petroleum and other fossil fuels.”