Georgia-Pacific tests autonomous drone at Alabama River Cellulose mill

Georgia-Pacific is testing an autonomous drone system at its Alabama River Cellulose mill in Perdue Hill, Alabama, to monitor construction progress on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

The company described the trial as its first use of an autonomous drone for this type of industrial work. Before the test, image collection depended on an individual drone operator. Variations in flight routes, altitude and camera position could introduce differences between successive image captures, making progress comparisons less consistent.

Georgia-Pacific began evaluating an automated approach to standardise image collection, reduce the amount of manual work required and limit a pilot’s exposure to hazards within the industrial facility.

The system is intended to provide regular and more consistent progress information to project leaders and other decision-makers while allowing employees to dedicate more time to higher-value work.

“Innovation is taking flight. For the first time in our history, an autonomous drone system is being tested at Alabama River Cellulose. This is creating a safer, smarter way to track progress and giving teams more time to focus on what matters most. The future of work is already in motion,” Georgia-Pacific said.

The company reported that approximately 1,500 drone inspections had been conducted across its operations, although it did not specify the period covered by that figure. Georgia-Pacific said that, in an environment of increasingly constrained resources, new technology must deliver measurable value and demonstrate an adequate return on investment.

The autonomous drone initiative also forms part of a wider digital-delivery programme. The work is intended to support reality capture, three-dimensional modelling and integrated data workflows, with the longer-term objective of developing a connected digital twin that can enable safer project execution, faster decisions and greater operational value.

Alabama River Cellulose is a Georgia-Pacific pulp mill located in Perdue Hill. Acquired by the company in 2010, the facility produces bleached softwood kraft pulp supplied as market pulp in bales and fluff pulp in rolls.

The mill is undergoing an $800 million modernisation and expansion programme announced in 2025. The project is scheduled to run through 2027 and is intended to enhance production efficiency, increase capacity and make the facility one of the most technologically advanced softwood pulp mills in the United States.