Georgia-Pacific deploys autonomous drones to map its 800 million Alabama mill expansion

Digitalizing heavy industry construction

The integration of advanced technology in pulp and paper manufacturing is moving beyond the production line and into the construction site. As of July 2026, Georgia-Pacific is actively testing an autonomous drone system at its Alabama River Cellulose mill in Perdue Hill. The initiative is designed to monitor construction progress, enable reality capture, and support digital-twin development for the facility's massive modernization program.

The drone deployment sits at the heart of an $800 million capital investment project that began in late 2025 and is scheduled to run through 2027. By automating image collection, Georgia-Pacific is replacing manual, ground-level photography with standardized, repeatable aerial data. This shift eliminates the variability of human-captured images and significantly reduces personnel exposure to industrial hazards during a complex construction phase.

Tracking a massive capacity upgrade

The Alabama River Cellulose facility is undergoing a transformation that will cement its position as one of the most technologically advanced softwood pulp mills in the United States. The ongoing upgrades include the installation of a state-of-the-art digester, a new pulp dryer, and a highly efficient power boiler. Once completed in 2027, the mill will increase its production capacity by approximately 300 tons per day, pushing total annual output close to one million tons of fluff and market pulps.

These materials are critical for the global supply chain of consumer goods, including baby diapers, adult incontinence products, and facial tissues. With demand for softwood pulp products projected to grow steadily, Georgia-Pacific's investment ensures long-term supply stability. The company has already conducted around 1,500 drone inspections across its broader operations, proving that reality capture technology can deliver a tangible return on investment by keeping decision-makers updated on daily, weekly, and monthly progress without tying up on-site engineering resources.

The use of autonomous drones for digital-twin development at the Alabama River Cellulose mill represents a brilliant step forward for capital project management in our sector, proving that safety and efficiency can scale together. Will other major pulp producers adopt reality capture as a standard requirement for their future mill expansions? Follow The Paper for daily news, market signals and key updates from the global paper, corrugated and packaging industry. — Sigue toda la actualidad del sector en www.thepaper.ai