PORT ANGELES — The Peninsula Plywood mill is expected to be fully operational again by the end of the week, thanks to a boiler that was trucked in late Monday.
Production has been at a near standstill since the control room for the mill’s two boilers was destroyed in a fire Saturday morning.
About three-fourths of the mill’s 135-person work force has been idle since, said Tim Lewis, PenPly general manager.
Lewis said the goal is to have production restarted no later than Friday, but the mill may be ready to go as early as Thursday afternoon.
Shifts will run Saturday to try to make up for lost time, he said.
Crews with Lynnwood-based Cole Industrial Inc. have been working around the clock to install a 65,000-pound boiler, with its own controls, at the mill.
“We’re hoping to be done by the end of the day [today],” PenPly President Josh Renshaw said.
The temporary boiler arrived at about 9 p.m. Monday.
The 12,000-gallon diesel fuel tank that will power the boiler was unloaded Tuesday.
The temporary boiler is large enough to put the mill back at full production, Lewis said.
No orders have been canceled, but about six or seven will be delayed, he said.
Still, the mill will be hurt by spending time filling delayed orders rather than new shipments, Lewis said.
“You can’t make the days up,” he said.
Lewis said no estimate has been made on how much the fire will cost the mill in lost production.
Renshaw said Saturday it could be as much as $200,000.
Bringing the mill’s two boilers back on line could take several weeks.
The cost of replacing the control room will be covered by insurance, Renshaw said Saturday.
The cause of the fire has not been determined.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com
