Sustainability and Energy Efficiency in the Pulp and Paper Industry

摘要

It is evident that the pulp and paper industry faces major challenges in the future when operational requirements arise not only from the profitability perspective, but also as sustainability targets become more demanding. Sustainability benchmarking should be seen as a booster for the development of energy efficiency, combining cost efficiency and global responsibility. The pulp and paper industry can be a sustainable industry worldwide if you take into account its capability to almost fully utilise the biomass for products and C02-cycles. This requires enabling modern technologies but also improvements in profitability in terms of electricity production and improved raw material efficiency. Deployment of state-of-the-art process engineering solutions and modern technology can create significant benefits for the industry, not only from the cost structure point of view, but also regarding the image of companies and the entire pulp and paper community globally. Asset base is the main component in developing efficiency; in-depth evaluations are often needed to map all details contributing to increased performance and efficiency. Asset integrity analyses, combined with energy audits, provide a superior way to pinpoint the real efficiency restrictions of an operating mill and support the owner to address the investments correctly. The drive for sustainability is one that takes place on many fronts. Industry players in different regions share challenges and also have ones unique to their own environments, such as regulations. The overview here has touched on the benefits of more sustainable pulp and paper operations and the guiding principles informing companies as their transition towards desired levels. Critically we have considered the benchmarking mechanisms and why it is essential to have a holistic view, in the next article we will explore the current state of the industry on sustainability.