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The Circular Economy Is Transforming The Pulp Industry
The Circular Economy Is Transforming The Pulp Industry
The global megatrends, climate change mitigation and the circular economy, are driving key
forest industry players towards a major industrial transformation. The industry is moving
from traditional business models and bravely embracing new technologies and strategies
Joao Cordeiro, Head of Pulp & Paper, AFRY Process Industries has worked in the industry
for almost 40 years.
Joao Cordeiro, Head of Pulp & Paper, AFRY Process Industries, explains, “The pulp
industry has maintained a strong tailwind for a few years now, for many reasons. The steady
growth of the global tissue paper market, exacerbated by the tightening supply of recovered
paper, and dramatic changes in China’s papermaking fiber furnish, have all contributed to the
present state of the pulp industry and markets.”
“To improve further the industry needs to seek innovative ways of reducing waste
generation, complemented by increased use of by-products to replace virgin materials”,
Joao Cordeiro says.
“Energy efficiency in pulp production can be improved by design and by testing new
concepts, such as alternative pulp drying technologies. When it comes to switching fuels,
many modern pulp mill designs can avoid fossil fuel use completely. Switching fuels is
particularly important for lime kilns since they traditionally consume fuel oil or natural gas.
The main alternatives include biomass gasification (e.g., of bark and wood residues) and
direct wood powder firing. Another route is extracting lignin, which can also be used as fuel.
Some companies have tried burning methanol or even tall oil, but typically these fuels find
better value in other applications.”
“When you investigate water usage and the feasibility of closing water circuits it is crucial to
take the entire production process into account. For example, in areas with abundant water
availability, the optimal level of closure of the water system needs to be carefully analyzed.
Advanced effluent water treatment is naturally key in this thinking. It is crucial to understand
that the key issue is not only the closure of water systems themselves, but the management of
the consequences that the closure creates for product quality, process stability, scaling
tendency, safety and material issues.”
“Although they only represent a small part of the traditional forest business, the markets for
novel bio-based products are expected to more than double in value during the next 15-20
years,” Cordeiro says. “This is confirmed by high investment activity of the leading forest
industry players. Investments range from pilot plants to semi-commercial and commercial
scale operations. By
2035, most modern pulp mills will host multiple complementary businesses and a significant
part of their revenues will originate from these products. We will also see many new
standalone wood-based facilities, which do not produce conventional pulps or papers, but
which will instead focus on the production of bio-based chemicals, novel textile fibers or
other innovative bio-based materials and fuels.”
“As the industry diversifies its product and technology portfolio, it is simultaneously
improving its environmental credentials and setting the scene for a more sustainable future,”
he concludes.