Energy efficiency opportunities in the U.S. pulp and paper industry

Klaas Jan Kramer*, Eric Masanet, Ernst Worrell

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

The U.S. pulp and paper industry consumes over $7 billion worth of purchased fuels and electricity per year. Energy efficiency improvement is an important way to reduce these costs and to increase predictable earnings, especially in times of high energy price volatility. There are a variety of opportunities available at individual plants in the U.S. pulp and paper industry to reduce energy consumption in a cost-effective manner. This paper provides a brief overview of the new U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR® for Industry energy efficiency guidebook (a.k.a. the "Energy Guide") for pulp and paper manufacturers. The Energy Guide discusses a wide range of energy efficiency practices and energy-efficient technologies that can be implemented at the component, process, facility, and organizational levels. Also provided is a discussion of the trends, structure, and energy consumption characteristics of the U.S. pulp and paper industry along with a description of the major process technologies used within the industry. Many energy efficiency measure descriptions include expected savings in energy and energy-related costs, based on case study data from real-world applications in pulp and paper mills and related industries worldwide. The information in this Energy Guide is intended to help energy and plant managers in the U.S. pulp and paper industry reduce energy consumption in a cost-effective manner while maintaining the quality of products manufactured. Further research on the economics of all measures-as well as on their applicability to different production practices-is needed to assess their cost effectiveness at individual plants.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationWorld Energy Engineering Congress, WEEC 2008
Pages553-571
Number of pages19
StatePublished - 2008
EventWorld Energy Engineering Congress, WEEC 2008 - Washington, DC, United States
Duration: Oct 1 2008Oct 3 2008

Publication series

NameWorld Energy Engineering Congress, WEEC 2008
Volume2

Other

OtherWorld Energy Engineering Congress, WEEC 2008
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityWashington, DC
Period10/1/0810/3/08

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Energy Engineering and Power Technology
  • Fuel Technology

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