LimeArc´s Roland Lundqvist notices the report verifies our technology direction based on plasma. The implementation of electric plasma calcination with steam slaking has a great potential to achieve energy savings and emission reductions when integrated into existing pulp and paper processes.
The report illustrates the impact of integrating electric plasma calcination together with steam slaking into existing pulp and paper plants by using pinch analysis. Two existing mills, the stand-alone pulp mill Södra Cell Värö and the integrated pulp and paper mill Holmen Iggesund were used as models in case studies to illustrate the proposed assessment methodology. From the results presented, replacing the lime kiln with the electric plasma calcination with steam slaking is beneficial for both investigated mills in terms of energy efficiency and total annualized costs.
The resulting CO2 could also be utilized by other possible CO2 utilization options presented in Section 2.3. By utilizing the carbon dioxide on-site in the pulp bleaching process, the use of other acids such as sulphuric acid could potentially be reduced. The option of utilizing the excess carbon dioxide for CCS could be an option in the future if certificates, tariffs or similar systems are in place to ensure a revenue for the avoided emissions of CO2
The authors Elin Andersson and Arvid Skogström say, as some of the equipment that are used are novel technologies, the prices of those might decline when they become more established and the production becomes more commercial. But as the total annualized costs for the two technologies are in the same order of magnitude, it indicates that electric plasma calcination will be a cost competitive alternative to the lime kiln.
The emission of greenhouse gases can be significantly reduced provided that the electricity production is fossil free and that the saved biomass is used to replace fuels of fossil origin. Implementation of electric plasma calcination along with the conventional lime kiln as a capacity increase measure could be further investigated as a transition from the conventional to the new technology.
For more information, please contact:
Roland Lundqvist
LimeArc Process AB
+46-70-631 85 29
[email protected]