Rayonier Advanced Materials Recovers Sulfur Dioxide at Fernandina Plant

Rayonier Advanced Materials is highlighting a methanol condenser SO₂ recovery initiative at its Fernandina Plant, which changes how the mill handles evaporator non-condensable gases. The project allows sulfur dioxide to be recovered and reused rather than discharged to the sewer system. The company says it also helps offset rising chemical costs affecting the industry. Group Leader of Process Engineering Bryan Robison leads mill performance initiatives and mentors engineers at the site.

Key facts

Market context

Sulfur dioxide is a key reagent in kraft and sulfite pulping, where it is used in pulp bleaching and in preparing cooking liquors, and it is also widely used in water treatment and food preservation. Methanol is a basic petrochemical feedstock used in formaldehyde, acetic acid, solvents and fuel blending, and its price tracks natural gas and downstream chemical demand. Pulp and paper mills are the main end market for this type of sulfur chemistry, so mill-level changes in gas handling and chemical recovery tend to matter most to producers of dissolving pulp and specialty cellulose grades. When a mill recovers and reuses sulfur dioxide instead of discharging it, it reduces purchases of fresh chemical and lowers effluent load, which can ease cost pressure when reagent prices rise. Changes like this are generally incremental rather than market-moving, but they illustrate how producers manage input costs and environmental compliance as chemical prices shift.

Source: official release on ryam.com. Summary and context written by Market Krystal.