BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 30, 2022
A handful of companies are proposing to repurpose former Maine paper mills into refineries that create fuels and fertilizer from wood, raising hopes that they could generate economic activity in areas tied to the state’s traditional forest economy. Ensyn Fuels Inc. applied for a state license this week to open a biorefinery at the site of the former Great Northern Paper Co. mill in East Millinocket. Standard Biocarbon, a Portland firm, signed a lease with East Millinocket last year to also open a biorefinery at the former mill site to produce a sustainable fertilizer alternative called biochar. The company also announced plans last week to produce biochar at the Pleasant River Lumber mill in Enfield. And Biofine Developments Northeast Inc. announced last summer that it had reached an agreement with the town of Lincoln to open a biofuels refinery on the site of the former Lincoln Paper and Tissue mill.