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Paper Mills
Minnesota’s pulp and paper industry consists of eight facilities. These high energy-using facilities collectively use an estimated 26 million MMBtu annually. Their largest waste stream is typically pulp and paper fines in wastewater.
The Sappi Cloquet paper mill, Cloquet, won a 2006 Governor's Awards for Excellence in Waste and Pollution Prevention for a series of energy and water conservation projects implemented over next two years following a mill-wide energy use study using pinch technology. Energy use at the facility is now optimized at a "world class level of performance."
Energy
According to a report presented at an American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy event, pulp, paper and paperboard mills account for about 12 percent of total manufacturing energy use in the U.S. Steam is a large energy use in papermaking.
Top Compressed Air Energy Saving Options MnTAP facilitated U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) compressed air audits at StoraEnso and UPM-Blandin. Compressed air assessments reveal that facilities have common opportunities for energy efficiency improvements: leak reduction, storage, sequencing and removing inappropriate uses such as cooling bearings, cleaning converyor belts.
Motors The paper and allied products industry annually spends $3.6 billion or about 2.6 percent of its overall operating costs to operate electric motor systems, according to DOE.
Industry Case Studies Several forest products companies have received cost-share funding from DOE for plant-wide energy-efficiency assessments.
Appleton Papers A plant-wide energy survey
resulted in twenty-one recommendations for projects to reduce energy consumption
and waste production and improve process efficiency.
Blue Heron Paper Company Oregon mill uses model-based energy assessment to identify energy and cost savings opportunities
Boise Cascade Mill Energy Assessment An integrated effluent heat reduction and water conservation study was performed at the Boise Cascade plant in International Falls, Minnesota. The implementation of four projects and two process modifications are projected to remove 45.6 MM Btu/hr from the effluent.
Boise Paper Process pumping system optimization saves energy and improves production.
Rock-Tenn Company Saves $170,000 by Reducing Energy Losses The paper mill insulated steam and condensate lines.
Sappi Paper Mills Reduce the Cost of Expansion Extensive monitoring, analysis, and control would optimize electrical systems, manage energy usage, pinpoint problem sources, and avoid unnecessary downtime.
Water
Blandin Paper Company MnTAP sponsored a student intern project at Blandin to increase the efficiency of the clay preparation area by recovering material for reuse and removing material from the wastewater at a paper mill.
Potlatch Corporation MnTAP sponsored a student intern project at Potlatch to expand water conservation projects to enable company to sustain various waste conditions and changes in production levels.
Stora Enso Reclaims Solids for Wastewater for Reuse Reclaiming usable raw materials from its wastewater, the papermaker reduced the amount of solids released to the sewer and justified a $134,000 project.
If you have questions related to reducing waste at paper mills, contact MnTAP at 612.624.1300 from greater Minnesota, call 800.247-0015.
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