Submitted by: James Olson
Researchers aim to reduce energy and greenhouse gas emissions of one of B.C.’s largest industries by 50 per cent before 2020, roughly enough to power 100,000 homes.
The mechanical pulp industry is the largest industrial consumer of electricity consuming approximately 8 per cent of BC Hydro’s electricity generation. The team is committed to sustainably producing pulp products and investigating ways to improve the environmental performance while making the pulp and paper business more competitive. More than nine inter-related projects will develop new processes with novel sensors and advanced computer control to significantly reduce the energy consumed in the current process in B.C. mills.