PAPER making! FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF PAPER TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL ® FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF PAPER TE Volume 8, Number 2, 2022
Energy Recovery from Waste Paper and Deinking Sludge to Support the Demand of the Paper Industry: A Numerical Analysis SIMONA DI FRAIA & M. RAKIB UDDIN. The recovery of fibres from waste paper (WP) and deinking sludge (DIS) reduces the stress on nature compared to the collection of virgin pulp for paper production. Moreover, if not recycled, WP and DIS are mainly landfilled and incinerated, being thus responsible for the release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. In this context, energy recovery from WP and DIS would contribute to increasing energy independence and improving waste management in the pulp industry. From a broader perspective, it would increase renewable energy generation, supporting the paper industry in reducing fossil fuel consumption and GHGs emissions, in line with the goals of the European Union (EU) Green Deal 2021. For these reasons, in the present study, the combined heat and power generation potentiality of WP – DIS blends through gasification in combination with an internal combustion engine is numerically assessed for the first time. The air gasification process is simulated by applying a restricted chemical equilibrium approach to identify the optimum operating temperature (850°C) and equivalence ratio (0.2). Electrical and thermal energy generation potentiality, considering WP and DIS production in the EU in 2019, is estimated to be in the ranges of 32,950 – 35,700 GWh and 52,190 – 56,100 GWh, respectively. Thus, it can support between 25 and 28% of the electrical and 44 – 48% of the thermal energy demand of the paper manufacturing sector, reducing the CO2 emission in the range of 24.8 – 28.9 Gt. Contact information: Department of Engineering, University of Naples “Parthenope”, 80143 Napoli, Italy . Sustainability 2022, 14, 4669. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084669 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
The Paper Industry Technical Association (PITA) is an independent organisation which operates for the general benefit of its members – both individual and corporate – dedicated to promoting and improving the technical and scientific knowledge of those working in the UK pulp and paper industry. Formed in 1960, it serves the Industry, both manufacturers and suppliers, by providing a forum for members to meet and network; it organises visits, conferences and training seminars that cover all aspects of papermaking science. It also publishes the prestigious journal Paper Technology International ® and the PITA Annual Review , both sent free to members, and a range of other technical publications which include conference proceedings and the acclaimed Essential Guide to Aqueous Coating .
Article 8 – Energy Recovery
Page 1 of 19
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker