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.