Powering Continuous, High-Load Operations in Demanding Mill Environments
Pulp and paper facilities operate around the clock, driving high-power equipment through refining, forming, pressing, drying, and finishing processes that cannot tolerate electrical failure or outages. At the same time, the steam, moisture, corrosive environments, conductive dust, and high fault currents in these facilities create uniquely demanding conditions for switchgear, breakers, and the entire distribution system.
Group CBS supports pulp and paper mills with comprehensive electrical life cycle solutions designed to maximize uptime, protect personnel, and extend the life of aging infrastructure. Whether maintaining legacy switchgear in long-established mills or supporting system upgrades and expansions, we deliver the expertise, inventory, and field services needed to keep production moving.
How our team supports pulp and paper operations:
- Comprehensive Life Cycle Support for Aging Electrical Infrastructure: From design, procurement, and installation through NETA-certified commissioning, predictive and preventive maintenance, retrofits, retrofill solutions, remanufacturing, and environmentally responsible decommissioning — we extend asset life, minimizing production interruptions in continuous-process environments.
- Proven Regulatory Compliance and Safety Leadership: Let us be your partner for NFPA 70B and NFPA 70E compliance with arc flash hazard analysis, labeling, and risk assessments. We ensure OSHA-compliant operations and reduce exposure risks in wet, corrosive, and high-conductivity mill environments.
- Industry-Leading Arc Flash Mitigation Solutions: CBS ArcSafe remote racking and switching systems allow safe operation of energized breakers without direct exposure or heavy PPE — critical in steam-laden paper machine rooms and boiler areas where hazards can be amplified.
- Unmatched Aftermarket Solutions for Breakers and Switchgear: With the largest North American inventory of new, surplus, and reconditioned low-voltage and medium-voltage electrical equipment supporting all major OEMs, we provide rapid same-day shipping, remanufacturing, retrofill solutions, and replacement parts at significantly lower cost than full replacement.
- NETA-Certified Testing and Maintenance Services: Some of our services include circuit breaker testing, transformer testing and repair, vacuum interrupter testing, infrared scanning, protective relay testing, and predictive analytics — ensuring reliable power delivery to refining systems, dryers, drive systems, and mill-wide distribution.
Let's Talk
Expertise includes full engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) turnkey project capabilities, as well as disaster recovery — providing mill-wide electrical upgrades, emergency response, and coordinated execution to restore power quickly after outages, storms, or equipment failures.
Industry News & Insights
The Hidden Cause of Bus Duct Failures
Most people know that water and electricity do not pair well. But you might not realize how damaging even small water leaks can be over time.
Don’t Postpone Circuit Breaker Modernization
Aging equipment may not meet modern reliability and safety standards, but Circuit Breakers Sales’ experts can help.
Extending Equipment Life: How One Manufacturer Is Revitalizing Its Power Distribution System
Planned life extension not only protects critical assets but also delivers measurable financial and operational advantages.
When Everything Goes Wrong, Speed and Expertise Make It Right
Circuit Breaker Sales helped a manufacturer recover from a cascading electrical failure with rapid response, expert repair, and trusted partnerships.
Powering Reliability Through Complete Life-Cycle Solutions
Known for its unmatched inventory of new, legacy, and hard-to-find equipment, CBS combines decades of technical expertise with a forward-looking approach to service, safety, and sustainability.
Don’t Sacrifice Speed, Cost, or Quality in Electrical Distribution
With Circuit Breaker Sales, you don’t have to settle for just two sides of the Iron Triangle.
Keep Your Data Center Operating Safely and Efficiently
Aging electrical power equipment can present challenges. Managing and modernizing that equipment is key to keeping your data centers online.
Perform SF6 Circuit Breaker Maintenance For Proper Operation
Periodic inspection of the internal parts of an SF6 circuit breaker ensures that mechanical parts are in proper operating condition.
Leverage NFPA 70B to Drive Maintenance, Testing, and Repair Business
Providers of maintenance, testing, and repair services can leverage NFPA 70B to secure long-term relationships while contributing to a safer industrial landscape.
Learn How Regular Breaker Shop Service Can Reduce Arc-Flash Dangers
Updates to how arc-flash energy is calculated provide accurate results, but knowledge and best practices are still what keep people safe from electrical dangers.
Extending the Life of Legacy Switchgear and Breakers
Many pulp and paper mills operate electrical systems that have been in service for decades. These assets were built for durability, but moisture, heat, vibration, and chemical exposure accelerate wear and corrosion over time.
Group CBS specializes in restoring and extending the life of legacy equipment, including:
- Low-voltage and medium-voltage circuit breakers
- Metal-clad switchgear
- Vacuum interrupters
- Motor control components
- OEM replacement parts for Eaton, Schneider Electric, GE, Siemens, ABB, and others
With the largest inventory of new, surplus, and reconditioned components in North America, Circuit Breaker Sales helps the pulp and paper industry avoid extended OEM lead times and costly full-system replacements with support from Switchgear Power Solutions, Arkansas Electrical Outlet, and Vacuum Interrupters.
Remanufacturing and reconditioning restore equipment to like-new performance — often at 40%–60% lower cost than new installations. This approach enables mills to modernize strategically while preserving capital and minimizing downtime.
The Power of One from Group CBS
We deliver comprehensive electrical support to the pulp and paper industry through the Power of One. Work with a single, coordinated partner for equipment supply, engineering, field services, safety solutions, and EPC execution. Instead of managing multiple vendors across multiple facilities, mills gain:
- A single point of accountability
- Coordinated documentation and compliance support
- Streamlined procurement
- Faster response and execution
- Consistent safety standards across sites
This integrated approach simplifies electrical asset management for complex, multisite mill operations.
Safety and Compliance in Wet, Conductive Environments
Pulp and paper facilities present heightened electrical safety risks. Moisture, steam, conductive pulp dust, and high-energy equipment increase the potential for ground faults and arc flash incidents.
Group CBS companies support mills with comprehensive compliance solutions, including:
- Arc flash hazard analysis and labeling
- Short-circuit and coordination studies
- Energy-reducing maintenance modes
- Zone selective interlocking strategies
- NFPA 70B maintenance program development
CBS ArcSafe remote racking systems provide an additional layer of protection by enabling operators to rack breakers from a safe distance — reducing arc flash exposure during energized maintenance activities.
These measures help mills maintain safe working conditions while meeting OSHA and insurance requirements.
Enhancing System Reliability Through Expert Testing and Maintenance
Continuous production demands electrical reliability. Unexpected failures can halt refining systems, disrupt dryer sections, and cause costly downtime across entire production lines. Our testing and maintenance services help identify emerging issues before they become failures, reduce energy losses, and support long-term reliability in high-load, high-demand environments.
Nationwide NETA-certified field services from Premier Power Maintenance and CBS Field Services support continuous-process operations and prevent unplanned failures by delivering:
- Acceptance testing and commissioning
- Preventive and predictive maintenance programs
- Infrared thermography
- Vacuum interrupter assessment and conditioning
- Breaker timing and functional testing
- Load-bank testing and system verification
- Predictive analytics for performance monitoring
Arc Flash Studies and Hazard Remediation
High fault currents and aging infrastructure in pulp and paper mills require detailed engineering analysis to maintain safe operations.
Registered professional engineers within Group CBS conduct comprehensive:
- Arc flash studies
- Short-circuit analysis
- Coordination studies
- Power quality studies
- Mitigation strategy development
Solutions are tailored to mill-specific risks, including dusty metering compartments, high-fault switchgear, and legacy distribution systems. Implementing these strategies enables safer equipment access while maintaining compliance with evolving safety standards.
Turnkey Electrical Projects and EPC Capabilities
When mills expand capacity, modernize equipment, or repower aging infrastructure, they require more than parts and testing — they need coordinated execution.
We provide EPC services for:
- Switchgear upgrades and replacements
- Motor control center modernization
- Power distribution redesign
- Custom-engineered assemblies
- Facility-wide, turnkey electrical system improvement projects
With integrated project management and seamless coordination between engineering, procurement, and field services, we deliver upgrades on time and within budget while minimizing disruption to mill operations.
Superior Disaster Recovery and 24/7 Emergency Response
Storms, grid disturbances, and equipment failures can bring production to an immediate halt. In continuous-process industries like pulp and paper, every hour of downtime carries significant financial impact. From breaker failures to substation incidents, we help mills recover safely and efficiently.
The Power of One means we are built for rapid response. With a nationwide NETA-certified workforce, service shops that include Circuit Breaker Sales NE, Advanced Electrical and Motor Controls, CBS Nuclear Services, and Circuit Breaker Sales and Repair, immediate access to millions of parts, and in-house manufacturing capabilities, Group CBS can mobilize quickly to restore power and stabilize operations.
Upcoming Events
March 29–April 3
International Conference of Doble Clients
Boston, MA
March 30–April 2
Texas A&M Protective Relay Engineering Conference
College Station, TX
April 20–23
Data Center World
Washington, DC
April 26–30
IEEE-IAS/ACA Cement Conference
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Find a Group CBS Company Near You
Group CBS brings together specialized companies serving the electrical needs of pulp and paper facilities across North America and beyond. Through our network of companies, customers gain coordinated support across the full electrical asset life cycle — from routine maintenance and compliance to emergency response and turnkey project execution.
Whether supporting a single mill or a multisite operation, we connect you with the expertise and resources needed to keep power systems running safely, reliably, and efficiently.
>Find a Group CBS Company Near You to experience the Power of One.