(95c) Enhanced Waste Energy Recovery Targeting Using Real-Time Energy Integration in Pulp & Paper Plant

Pulp and paper industry is one of the most growing sectors in the world. World demand for paper and paperboard is forecast to grow from the current roughly 300 million tons to a little over 420 million tons by the year 2010 or an average growth rate of about 2.8% per annum. In 2002, North American pulp mills produced about 78.2 million tons of paper grade wood pulp. The United States, the largest pulp producer in the world, produced about 52.7 million tons in 2002. Though nearly 60-70% of its energy utilized is derived from wood waste, pulpwood, cogeneration, and a renewable resource, Pulp & paper is still an energy intensive industry. This industry accounts for about 5% of total final energy use in International Energy Agency (IEA) member countries, which is about 15% of final use in the industrial sector. In U.S, Pulp & paper mills account for about 12% of total manufacturing energy use. The growing demand along with its energy consumption have initiated the research schemes to increase the knowledge of cost-effective new technologies and system layouts for increased productivity and better product quality while improving energy efficiency, sustainability, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental consequences. Many methods and tools for energy conservation have been developed during the last two decades. These methods used mainly mathematical programming and pinch technology to determine the optimal process conditions that result in efficient use of energy in process industries. Several challenges still face the industrial community in adopting these methods. This paper demonstrates the benefits obtained from utilizing real-time energy integration for a typical Pulp & paper industry in energy savings. It also shows systematic targeting for energy consumption and specifying the optimal process operating conditions to achieve desired targets using TEM_icons software. The application of this approach is not only beneficial in maximizing profitability but also in reduction of energy-based air pollution in Pulp & paper industry. Key Words: Real-time Heat Integration; Pulp & paper plant; TEM_icons?; Interval Constraint Satisfaction;