Energy

Wisconsin papermakers have decreased the amount of energy to produce a ton of paper by 31%.

Energy

Manufacturing pulp and paper is a very energy intensive activity — papermakers are Wisconsin’s largest industrial consumers of energy. But, did you know that papermakers also are leaders in energy conservation and the use of renewable and waste-source energy resources?

The industry needs about 115 trillion British Thermal Units (BTU) of energy annually. Thanks to its successful conservation initiatives, the volume of energy needed to make paper increased about 24.4% since the early 1970s, while paper production jumped an astounding 82%.

That calculates to a 31% decrease in the amount of energy needed to produce a ton of paper in Wisconsin.

Papermakers Rely On A Variety of Energy Resources

Renewable and recycled (or waste-source) energy resources provide more than 24% of the typical paper company’s “energy mix.” Use of these substances on a BTU basis has increased nearly 69% — from 16.5 trillion BTUs to more than 27.8 trillion BTUs — in about three decades.

Fossil fuels provide about 75% of a typical paper company’s energy needs. The main energy types are coal (35%), natural gas (22%) and electricity (13%). Papermakers also use lesser amounts of propane gas and fuel oil.

Spent pulping liquors are a chief alternate fuel for papermakers. When these chemicals become too weak after being used and recycled several times in the pulp manufacturing process, they are burned to recover their energy content.

Other important fuels in this category include bark and other unpulpable wood waste — their BTU use has expanded 176% — and various types of refuse, from industrial and municipal waste to used auto and truck tires. Use of such refuse-derived fuels, or RDF, increased more than 650% at paper companies since the early 1970s, from about 0.25 trillion BTU to more than 1.9 trillion BTU.

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