Aug. 26, 2008 - Neenah Paper is planning to convert wood and fiber waste into steam energy to power its largest fine paper mill.

Nearly all of the energy used at the company's Whiting Mill will be produced from renewable sources, according to Neenah. The project is expected to save about 42,000 tons year. It will also cut energy costs, since the new biomass plant will replace the mill's resource-intensive gas-fired boilers.

"Our commitment to the environment is based on real internal change such as investing in innovative, energy-efficient upgrades and manufacturing processes versus simply buying carbon credits," says John O'Donnell, president of Neenah's fine paper division. "This project supports that strategy and complements existing initiatives already in place at our other manufacturing sites, where we burn biomass and utilize local hydro, solar, and wind power."

Neenah has contracted on the project with Vision Power, a Florida-based independent energy services company. The biomass facility is slated for completion in the third quarter of 2009.

Neenah Paper is also a member of the Chicago Climate Exchange, a voluntary, legally binding greenhouse gas reduction program.