AV Group to Temporarily Idle Nackawic, NB, Dissolving-Pulp Mill

Citing difficult market conditions and broader macroeconomic factors, AV Group NB plans to temporarily idle its Nackawic dissolving-pulp mill in New Brunswick in early November, MET Magazine reported (9-21-26).

The Nackawic facility employs approximately 350 people and has annual dissolving-grade pulp production capacity of about 190,000 tons. No restart date has been announced.

The planned idling follows an earlier adjustment to the mill’s fiber supply. In August, AV Nackawic stopped accepting roundwood, chips, and biomass from suppliers after determining that existing inventory was sufficient to meet near-term operating requirements. The company said the move also helped manage cash flow because of the time between purchasing wood, producing and shipping pulp, and receiving payment.

AV Group’s Atholville mill is facing the same external market challenges, although no idling has been announced there.

AV Group NB operates the Nackawic and Atholville dissolving-pulp mills in New Brunswick, with combined annual capacity of approximately 332,000 tons. Grasim Industries, part of India-based Aditya Birla Group, holds about a 45% stake in the Canadian joint venture.