Decarbonization Prospects for the European Pulp and Paper Industry: Different Development Pathways and Needed Actions
The pulp and paper industry (PPI) has several opportunities to contribute to meeting prevailing climate targets. It can cut its own CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, which currently account for 2% of global industrial fossil CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, and it has an opportunity to prod...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/2/746 |
| _version_ | 1797443197921656832 |
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| author | Satu Lipiäinen Eeva-Lotta Apajalahti Esa Vakkilainen |
| author_facet | Satu Lipiäinen Eeva-Lotta Apajalahti Esa Vakkilainen |
| author_sort | Satu Lipiäinen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The pulp and paper industry (PPI) has several opportunities to contribute to meeting prevailing climate targets. It can cut its own CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, which currently account for 2% of global industrial fossil CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, and it has an opportunity to produce renewable energy, fuels, and materials for other sectors. The purpose of this study is to improve understanding of the decarbonization prospects of the PPI. The study provides insights on the magnitude of needed annual renewal rates for several possible net-zero target years of industrial fossil CO<sub>2</sub> emissions in the PPI and discusses decarbonization opportunities, namely, energy and material efficiency improvement, fuel switching, electrification, renewable energy production, carbon capture, and new products. The effects of climate policies on the decarbonization opportunities are critically evaluated to provide an overview of the current and future business environment of the European PPI. The focus is on Europe, but other regions are analyzed briefly to widen the view. The analysis shows that there are no major technical barriers to the fossil-free operation of the PPI, but the sector renovates slowly, and many new opportunities are not implemented on a large scale due to immature technology, poor economic feasibility, or unclear political environment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:52:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0868cfbde4c443f2ad1ee199fcf9a2a3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:52:33Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-0868cfbde4c443f2ad1ee199fcf9a2a32023-11-30T22:03:27ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732023-01-0116274610.3390/en16020746Decarbonization Prospects for the European Pulp and Paper Industry: Different Development Pathways and Needed ActionsSatu Lipiäinen0Eeva-Lotta Apajalahti1Esa Vakkilainen2LUT School of Energy Systems, LUT University, 53850 Lappeenranta, FinlandLUT School of Energy Systems, LUT University, 53850 Lappeenranta, FinlandLUT School of Energy Systems, LUT University, 53850 Lappeenranta, FinlandThe pulp and paper industry (PPI) has several opportunities to contribute to meeting prevailing climate targets. It can cut its own CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, which currently account for 2% of global industrial fossil CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, and it has an opportunity to produce renewable energy, fuels, and materials for other sectors. The purpose of this study is to improve understanding of the decarbonization prospects of the PPI. The study provides insights on the magnitude of needed annual renewal rates for several possible net-zero target years of industrial fossil CO<sub>2</sub> emissions in the PPI and discusses decarbonization opportunities, namely, energy and material efficiency improvement, fuel switching, electrification, renewable energy production, carbon capture, and new products. The effects of climate policies on the decarbonization opportunities are critically evaluated to provide an overview of the current and future business environment of the European PPI. The focus is on Europe, but other regions are analyzed briefly to widen the view. The analysis shows that there are no major technical barriers to the fossil-free operation of the PPI, but the sector renovates slowly, and many new opportunities are not implemented on a large scale due to immature technology, poor economic feasibility, or unclear political environment.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/2/746energy transitionpulp and paper industryclimate policybioenergyCO<sub>2</sub> emissionsBECCS |
| spellingShingle | Satu Lipiäinen Eeva-Lotta Apajalahti Esa Vakkilainen Decarbonization Prospects for the European Pulp and Paper Industry: Different Development Pathways and Needed Actions Energies energy transition pulp and paper industry climate policy bioenergy CO<sub>2</sub> emissions BECCS |
| title | Decarbonization Prospects for the European Pulp and Paper Industry: Different Development Pathways and Needed Actions |
| title_full | Decarbonization Prospects for the European Pulp and Paper Industry: Different Development Pathways and Needed Actions |
| title_fullStr | Decarbonization Prospects for the European Pulp and Paper Industry: Different Development Pathways and Needed Actions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Decarbonization Prospects for the European Pulp and Paper Industry: Different Development Pathways and Needed Actions |
| title_short | Decarbonization Prospects for the European Pulp and Paper Industry: Different Development Pathways and Needed Actions |
| title_sort | decarbonization prospects for the european pulp and paper industry different development pathways and needed actions |
| topic | energy transition pulp and paper industry climate policy bioenergy CO<sub>2</sub> emissions BECCS |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/2/746 |
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