U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has canceled a planned Friday visit to North Carolina for the opening of a bioproducts facility.
Vilsack was scheduled to be in Plymouth Friday morning for the opening of Domtar, Inc.’s facility, which produces lignin. Lignin is a chemical compound derived from wood that is used as an alternative to petroleum. Domtar is working with the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory among others to develop lignin into applications such as fuel additives, solid fuels and high performance adhesives.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that Domtar’s Plymouth facility will be the first of its type to open in the United States in more than 25 years. The facility has received funding from the Agriculture Department’s Biomass Research and Development Initiative from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program was authorized under the 2008 Farm Bill.
