TOWARDS BETTER ENERGY EFFICIENCY

text: Nina Colliander-Nyman
photo: UPM

How do we reach the target? Electricity, steam, heat and water are the key elements.

How to use less electricity, steam, heat and water in the production purposess? Even small streams can turn into a river.

By improving energy efficiency at paper mills, energy consumption can be lowered and emissions reduced. One way of improving energy efficiency in mills is through energy audits, which UPM has been performing since 1997.

By 2003, all the UPM mills had been audited once. The second round is now under way and is expected to be completed in 2010. This year, three mills are being audited – Kaipola and Jämsänkoski in Finland and Stracel in France.

“Auditing is an ongoing process and we learn more as we go along. When one mill succeeds at one specific point, other mills can learn from them and good practices can be exchanged,” explains Jarkko Hukkanen, Energy Audit Manager at UPM.

The auditing process focuses on improving the energy balance of the mill (the use of electricity, heat and process water). Particular focus is put on coming up with energy saving ideas that can be achieved without economic investments.

“The use of process water is a key element as energy consumption is highly dependent on water use,” says Hukkanen.

Teamwork

The auditing process is done as a team effort between the mills’ experts and the auditing team. New auditing teams are put together for every audit. The teams consist of senior experts from the mills, from the research, technology and development organisation and from the different business groups.

In practice, the team spends some two to three days at the mill and go through all the processes thoroughly.

“The work is very technical and demanding,” says Hukkanen. “When the audit is completed, a list of potential energy saving suggestions is presented. The saving potential is calculated both economically and in terms of energy. A rough classification on possible investment needs is also produced.”

Shared knowledge

Tuomo Pappila, Production Manager at Tervasaari PM 7, is a member of the audit team and has audited many mills over the years. He wants to point out that the audit team doesn’t come with any ready solutions, but that it can often be helpful to look at something with an “outsider’s” eyes.

“The role of the audit team is to help find possible saving objectives. Very often, the people at the mills are already aware of how processes could be improved, and then our role is to give support and help bring the ideas forward,” says Pappila.

“The additional benefit of our internal audits is that the audit team facilitates the transfer of experience and knowledge between the mills. As a consequence, the energy efficiency know-how of both the mill being audited and the audit team is developed,” concludes Hukkanen.