Paper Technology International 2025 FlipBook - Journal - Page 21
PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL
Decarbonization of a tissue paper plant:
D
Replacing fossil LPG
with renewable biosyngas
Elsa Kayser, Communications Of昀椀cer, Meva Energy
INTRODUCTION:
Process heat used in the manufacturing industry represents around 20% of the world’s energy consumption (International Energy
Agency, 2022). As the global push for reducing greenhouse gas emissions intensi昀椀es, manufacturing industries are facing pressure to adopt
sustainable energy solutions. This challenge is particularly pronounced in energy-intensive sectors such as tissue paper production, where
decarbonization must be balanced with operational ef昀椀ciency and cost-effectiveness.
The European Union’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 has spurred interest in renewable gases as part of
its broader strategy for decarbonizing the energy sector. Among the various renewable energy technologies, biomass gasi昀椀cation has
emerged as a promising solution, offering a versatile approach to converting solid organic waste materials into clean energy.
This article explores how biomass gasi昀椀cation can contribute to the decarbonization of a tissue paper plant, with a particular
focus on a case study from So昀椀del’s tissue mill in Kisa, Sweden, which implemented this technology to replace fossil LPG with renewable
biosyngas.
Article highlights:
•
Use of biosyngas from biomass gasi昀椀cation to decarbonize a tissue paper plant.
•
Reduction of 8,500 ton/y of CO2 emissions in comparison to fossil LPG.
•
The potential of biomass gasi昀椀cation to achieve carbon-negative emissions through
biochar sequestration
•
Renewable biosyngas produced on-site, reducing transportation and upgrading costs.
Biosyngas is a renewable
gas produced by thermal
gasi昀椀cation of low-quality
biomass residues. In relation
to other biogases, the energy
carriers in biosyngas are
mainly Carbon monoxide (CO),
Hydrogen (H2) and Methane
gas (CH4).
Figure 1. Meva Energy´s
renewable gas plant replacing
fossil gas consumption at
So昀椀del Sweden’s tissue mill in
Kisa, Sweden.
The energy challenge in tissue paper production
Producing tissue paper is an energy-intensive process,
particularly during the drying phase, which requires signi昀椀cant heat
to remove moisture from the paper. In today’s tissue machines, a
large share of the energy is consumed in drying hoods where hot
air generated is in direct contact with the tissue, which places high
demands on the quality of the heat. It is crucial that the hot air does
not introduce any odours or black particles that could affect the
昀椀nal product. Currently, to maintain low cost, process stability, and
high-quality heat, the best practice is to combust fossil fuels, such
as natural gas or LPG, in the tissue drying hoods. However, this
approach con昀氀icts with the tissue industry and EUs sustainability
goals.
One promising alternative is biomass gasi昀椀cation. By
generating biosyngas on-site, from locally sourced organic low-value
waste materials, biomass gasi昀椀cation has the potential to offer a
renewable and cost-ef昀椀cient substitute for fossil fuels in energyintensive processes like tissue drying.
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