INDIAN PULP & PAPER INDUSTRY

CHALLENGES AND INNOVATIONS

By

Prof. N.J. Rao

Chairman, Technical Advisory Panel

Director, Jaypee Inst. Of Engg. &

Tech.

Raghogarh, Dist. Guna (MP)

Retd. Prof. IIT Roorkee

INTRODUCTION

Indian Pulp and Paper has shown significant

improvements since last rating

There are still many challenges & a long way

to go

Demand driven P&P industry will be stressed

by pressures of quality, availability &

environmental considerations

Society, CREP & sustainability issues will

demand a change in the manner in which

industry conducts itself today

INTRODUCTION

Current Green Rating Exercise

differs from previous one by

Change from policy to performance

Better benchmarks
•

Robust model

Captures reality better

Better normalisation of wide

diversity

ISSUES

The major issues in this intensive industry

sector are

Sustained fibre supply-Virgin & Secondary

Sustained water supply

Sustained energy supply & quantum reduction

in specific energy use

Closed cycle operations

Colour & chloro-organics in wastewater

Odour & VOC’s in emissions

Solid wastes management

•

CHALLENGES-PROCESS

Indian mills are weak in instrumentation

& process control. This results in wide

variations in quality of sectional outputs.

Variation in quality of inputs,

poor/inefficient/outdated multiple

equipments multiplies the challenges

CHALLENGES-RAW MATERIAL

HANDLING

Chip size control

Dust & sound management

Raw material cleaning

Raw material Storage

Segregation of waste paper

CHALLENGES-PULPING

Pulp quality variation: H- Factor Control

Adoption of modern pulping digesters

n

Adoption of Single/two stage oxygen de-

lignification

Control of odour in conventional batch

digester

CHALLENGES-WASHING &

SCREENING

Use of modern washing equipments

Use of modern screening

equipments

Monitoring/control of COD of pulp

Monitoring & control of shives &

particles in pulp

CHALLENGES-BLEACHING

Elimination of elemental chlorine &

hypochlorite from bleaching sequence

Introduction of ECF bleaching

Introduction of oxygen extraction stage

n

in bleaching (several mills don’t have

this)

Adoption of enzyme pre-bleaching

Look at closing bleach filterate cycles.

CHALLENGES-CHEMICAL RECOVERY

Eliminate DCE for kraft liquor evaporation (63

per cent Indian mills have DCEs).

Introduce concentrators for black liquor

concentration above 72 per cent

Look at BL viscosity reduction opportunity

Put efforts on NPE, silica and scales

management

Introduce lime reburning systems

On an average, recovered energy in Indian

mills meets only 45 per cent of energy meets

of pulp and recovery section (in good global

mills there is energy excess)

CHALLENGES-STOCK PREPARATION

& PAPERMAKING

Improve management to reduce the

multiplicity of varieties/grades and

grade changes
Reduce freshwater consumption

from current average 57 m3/t

(European average 10 m3/t)

Improve filler loading (Indian

average – 140 kg/t; Global 330

kg/t)

CHALLENGES-WATER

Increase water system closure

Define internal ecological footprint

for water as monitoring benchmark

Increase:

Whitewater recycle

Recovery of condensate

Reuse of foul condensate

Bleach filter recycle

Rainwater harvesting

§
CHALLENGES-WATER

Improve monitoring of water use in

different sections

Relook at sectional discharges &

monitor against set benchmarks

Evaluate ETP performance & check

on colour reduction, sludge

use/disposal

Monitor receiving media

CONCLUSIONS

Move from statements/policies/targets to

performance, achievements & consistency

Be prepared to accept increased

Fibre stress

Water stress

Energy stress

Chemical stress

Environmental stress
•

Stakeholders stress

There are no ready made solutions.

Industry has to innovate and find unique

solutions for each situation.

CONCLUSIONS

n Need SCOPE to improve by adopting

cleaner technology, innovation,

modern vibrant competent up-to-

date forward looking trained human

resource,sustained supply of inputs,

greater stakeholder

interaction,green clean & closed-

cycle operations

CONCLUSIONS

The SCOPE for innovation

S-Sustainable supply & operation(materials

& energy

C-Closed cycle operation (water cycle, lime

cycle,carbon sink)

O-Optimised operations

P-Productivity focus

E-Environment/Energy/Economic efficiency

THANK YOU