Original Article Energy efficient alternatives to decarbonize the pulp and paper industry – the case of linerboard production
Rodrigo Buitrago-Tello, Richard A. Venditti
, Hasan Jameel, Department of Forest Biomaterials,
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Peter W. Hart, Ashok Ghosh, Research and Development, WestRock, Richmond, Virginia, USA Luis Carlos Belalcázar-Cerón , Facultad de Ingeniería, Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Ambiental, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
Received December 2 2024; Revised April 1 2025; Accepted April 10 2025; View online at Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com); DOI: 10.1002/bbb.2790; Biofuels, Bioprod. Bioref. (2025)
© 2025 The Author(s). Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. Correspondence to: Richard A. Venditti, Department of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA. E-mail: richardv@ncsu.edu Correspondence to: Luis Carlos Belalcázar-Cerón, Facultad de Ingeniería, Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Ambiental. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 45 # 26-85 Edificio Uriel Gutierrez, Bogota D.C 111321, Colombia. E-mail: lcbelalcazarc@unal.edu.co Abstract: Variability in fossil fuel prices and a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have driven the US pulp and paper (P&P) industry to adopt technologies that decrease reliance on fossil fuels. In this regard, enhancing energy efficiency is crucial to the decarbonization of the sector. This study evaluates several energy-efficient alternatives for one of the main P&P products, linerboard, focusing on black liquor concentration, steam generation, and paper-drying processes. The key technologies assessed include: (a) high-efficiency recovery boilers and electric boilers as substitutes for natural gas, (b) graphene oxide (GO) nanofiltration membranes and mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) for black liquor concentration, and (c) advanced paper machine techniques like shoe presses, nylon mesh felts, and condebelt drying. Using process simulations in Windows-based Generic Energy and Material System (WINGEMS), Life Cycle Assessment in OpenLCA, and financial modeling, the study found that GO membranes for black liquor and condebelt drying were the most effective, reducing emissions by 15%. High-efficiency recovery boilers added another 10% reduction. Cost analysis showed that technologies like nylon felts, shoe presses, and MVR not only cut operational costs but achieved carbon reductions of up to 8%, with costs of avoided carbon (CAC) ranging from −$67 and −$19 per metric tonne of CO 2 -eq. avoided. In contrast, GO membranes and recovery boilers had higher CAC values, from $237 to $392 per metric tonne. The findings suggest that the benefits of MVR, GO membranes, electric boilers, and condebelt drying increase with greater renewable energy use in the US grid, highlighting the decarbonization potential of electrifying the pulp and paper sector. © 2025 The Author(s). Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
1
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease