In today’s competitive environment, pulp mills are continuously searching for cost effective solutions to improve efficiencies and lower input costs. To understand some of today’s critical needs, TAPPI visited several pulp mills in the southeastern U.S. to see what the biggest operational challenges were at pulp mills.  

 

 Of the many issues, some of the more common topics across several mills included:  

• Lime kiln runnability; getting the most out of heavily loaded lime kilns and managing lime kiln ringing; lime kiln throughput, lime quality and kiln energy efficiency 
• Recausticizing efficiency or optimization; causticizing efficiency/slaking/lime mud removal/white liquor quality
• Bleach cost optimization
• Best outage execution templates; outage execution roundtable 
• Recovery boiler fouling basics and sootblowing best practice.

October 25-28, 2015 – Atlanta, Ga., USA

Keynote Speaker:  John D. Williams, president and CEO, Domtar

 

Domtar, the largest integrated marketer and manufacturer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America. Known as The Sustainable Paper Company, Domtar is dedicated to being a leader in innovating fiber-based products, technologies, and services, and is committed to a sustainable and better future.  

 

 

Scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, PEERS attendees can tour American Process Inc.’s (API) Thomaston Biorefinery, which produces 3.5 dry tpd of biomass. This facility also produces nanocellulose, pulp, cellulosic sugars, cellulosic ethanol, and native lignin from a variety of biomass feedstocks (HW, SW, agricultural residues, etc.) using their patented AVAP® technology. The plant’s new nanocellulose demonstration line produces cellulose nanofibrils, cellulose nanocrystals, and lignin-coated, hydrophobic varieties of each directly from biomass. The facility is situated on eight acres and includes 41,000 sq. ft.of manufacturing space along with API’s corporate R&D laboratory. Space is limited, so register early.

Pictured right: Keynote Speaker John D. Williams.

Pictured below: Sign marking entrance to the Thomaston BioRefinery in Thomaston, Ga.