Energy Hubs - the paper industry potential as a renewable energy producer - Paper Technology International 2023 - Paper Technology International 2023 - Flipbook - Page 20

Energy Hubs - the paper industry potential as a renewable energy producer - Paper Technology International 2023

PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL
Swinging between producing energy and material
The study also explored the possibility for the paper industry
to reduce its own consumption and increase the share of renewable
energy it provides to the grid, nearby neighbourhoods and possibly
other industries. The authors estimate that this ‘swing capacity’
could regularly reach 10% to 20% for an average paper mill.
From a wider perspective, the same effect of optimising
between material production and energy generation could also apply
to the biomass residues resulting from production. The development
of new product applications is already well-advanced. As renewable
energy becomes increasingly available and its cost declines in
the future, the production of secondary bio-based products and
materials is expected to further drive the industry’s transformation.
New opportunities will present themselves as the industry becomes
increasingly energy-efficient and affordable fossil-free energy
becomes more available.
The European paper industry could be a global champion
and promoter of a new bio-based and circular economy, something
for which it is already well–positioned. We have an opportunity for
significant, systemic change.
Paper mill sites already produce energy and can be seen
as ”energy hubs”. This means that a paper mill can use all available
means that make sense, including e.g. solar and wind power, to
optimise renewable energy on-site potential. The AFRY report
shows that our industry could increase the amount of generated
heat and electricity in many cases. One solution does not fit all sites
but becoming less dependent on external energy factors is crucial.
How much more renewable energy could be generated at
Cepi mill sites?
The paper industry is very heterogeneous. Some mills
produce a large surplus of energy, others consume a large deficit
of energy. The AFRY report estimates that across Europe about 31
TWh of additional energy (power and heat) could be produced onsite
using a mix of renewable energy sources. This corresponds to:
•
Almost 10% of Cepi mills’ energy consumption in 2020,
•
30% of electricity produced on-site in 2020,
•
Almost 6% of heat generated on-site in 2020,
•
About 0.8 % of European overall natural gas use before
the 2022 energy crisis.
In reality, this will depend on the mill’s individual
characteristics such as their own history, shape, layout and
equipment. To realise this potential, paper mills would need to make
new investments which will not happen overnight.
How the additional potential can be used?
In a business model of ”swing” between competing end
uses, the additional potential can be used in many ways:
•
Space: could be used for additional production capacity
or energy production
•
Water: could be recirculated, or an energy source
•
Gases: are energy for the mill, but could also be sold
•
Sludges: could become materials, energy, or sold as is
for further treatment
•
Lignin: is already an energy source – it can also be
valorised as materials and chemicals apart from fuels
In the AFRY report, double counting has been avoided by
using typical mills, with size space and other properties, and using
its resources efficiently – but only once.
How the additional potential can be realised?
The European policy can support the paper industry in
contributing to decrease Europe’s dependency on fossil energy.
The transition to greater energy on-site production requires a policy
framework that:
•
Promotes, supports and rewords investments in
renewable energy generation on-site,
•
Supports new business models which leverage the onsite renewable energy potential,
•
Facilitates connecting industrial sites into industrial
symbiosis networks,
•
Accelerates permitting processes for new renewable
energy installations on-site.
Readers can download the Executive Summary for Cepi’s Energy
Hubs report at https://www.cepi.org.
Cepi is the Confederation of the European paper industry, based in
Brussels, Belgium.
Figure 2: Depending on mill type and amount, the greatest absolute additional potential is on-site at integrated chemical
pulp and paper/board mills
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