The paper industry produces nearly 80 million tons of paper and paperboard annually, while wood products are used in a variety of residential and commercial applications. The industry produces a large number of diverse products including copy paper and newsprint, tissues and paper towels, food packaging, and plywood and lumber.
A significant source of emissions is from the heat needed in various industrial processes – process heating accounts for over half of onsite energy use. Key consumers of thermal energy include:
- Liquor evaporation;
- Pulping chemical preparation;
- Wood cooking and bleaching in pulp manufacturing; and
- Paper drying.
There is also significant thermal energy use in recycled papermaking, associated with heating the pulp slurry and dry paper. Areas of interest include:
- Novel paper and wood drying technologies;
- Innovative pulping and paper-forming technologies.