Can pulp and paper pioneer decarbonisation and help other industries?

The pulp and paper industry has already decarbonised substantially via process redesigns and efficiency improvements, even if natural gas is still used extensively in its production. Further decarbonisation opportunities lie in new types of paper-based materials, cellulose wood fibres and by-products from pulping, which can help to produce bio-based materials, textiles and chemicals.

The pulp and paper industry has reduced its own carbon footprint significantly over the past decades. Pulp production, which used to rely on large volumes of petroleum and other fossil energy, has through process redesign and energy efficiency improvements become self-sufficient on energy. In fact, pulp mills today even provide energy in the form of heat and power to local communities [e.g. see Lime kiln conversion case study]. Paper production has a large energy demand for heating and drying and still uses natural gas extensively to provide that energy. There are however good opportunities for the industry to provide low-carbon solutions for several parts of our economies.

Firstly, new types of paper-based materials are being developed which can allow for paper to substitute other materials with higher carbon footprints, such as paper bottles for soda and other drinks. Secondly, cellulose (wood) fibres can be used for non-traditional purposes to substitute other types of fibres. There is therefore a renewed and growing interest in using cellulose fibres for textile production, where they can substitute fibres made from polyester or nylon (which are fossil-based plastics), or using cellulose as a component in bio-composites which mix plastics and fibres [see DuraSense case study]. Thirdly, the by-products from pulping, e.g. lignin and hemicellulose which are the other components of wood, can be used for production of different types of bio-based chemicals, plastics, or fuels in so-called biorefineries [see LignoBoost innovation biography]. Biorefineries would transform traditional pulp mills into advanced factories producing multiple materials and products from wood, instead of just paper and energy [ see Äänekoski bioproduct mill case study]. 

Finally, pulp mills that combust bark and other wood residues for production of heat and power could capture the CO2 produced in combustion. Capturing the CO2 and storing it using CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) technology would effectively produce a carbon sink as the carbon in the wood was captured from the atmosphere during the growth phase. Questions still remain about the feasibility of this solution, called BECCS (Bio-Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage), compared to the others mentioned above, as well as the interest of pulp and paper firms to engage in developing these technologies.

The pulp and paper industry has been regulated strictly for decades regarding several types of emissions but not their greenhouse gas emissions until EU ETS in 2005. The ETS has however had limited effect as a decarbonisation driver in the industry as the free allocations have been generous. Policies and support schemes have assisted energy efficiency improvements of mills, and other policies have pushed the recycling of paper. Bioeconomy policies have focused solely on biofuels, which is thus what until recently has been most interesting for biorefineries, but new product categories are gaining traction due to pressure on sectors such as textiles and plastics.