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 broader forest products industry produces a large number of products including copy paper and newsprint, tissues and paper towels, food packaging, and plywood and lumber.
How Do We Increase Efficiency Within Forest Products Manufacturing?
The U.S. forest products industry uses a variety of industrial heating processes, including wood cooking, bleaching, liquor evaporation, pulp preparation, and paper drying to turn wood and recycled paper into everything from cardboard to envelopes to building frames. The industry consumes 15% of the energy of the U.S. manufacturing sector.
There are many opportunities to improve efficiencies in the forest product industry, including crosscutting technologies such as expansion of biofuel use, electrification, and carbon capture. Additional technology innovation opportunities include:
- Transformative paper/wood drying and energy recovery technologies
- Innovative pulping, paper-forming, and de-watering technologies
- Novel pulping chemistries
- Advanced separations.
