Assessment of Energy-demand based GHG Mitigation Options for the Pulp and Paper Sector

• Author / Creator

  Shafique, Hafiz Umar

• The pulp and paper industry plays a vital role in Canada’s economy, and Alberta’s pulp and paper industry has a 10% production share in Canada. Alberta’s pulp and paper industry is the third largest energy consumer in the province’s industrial sector, and there is significant potential to reduce energy demand and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this research, a bottom-up energy demand tree is developed for Alberta’s pulp and paper industry to understand the energy intensities of various types of equipment associated with different end uses. This demand tree is further used to simulate an integrated resource planning model, the Long-range Energy Alternative Planning (LEAP) system model. Based on expected growth in the pulp and paper industry, a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario is developed for the years 2010 to 2050 to project the energy demand and GHG emissions of Alberta’s pulp and paper mills. Twenty-eight GHG mitigation scenarios are developed for Alberta’s pulp and paper mills, and energy and emissions reductions are estimated with respect to the BAU scenario. The scenarios are also analyzed in terms of the cost-benefit aspects by developing a GHG abatement cost curve. The GHG abatement cost curves compare the scenarios in terms of net GHG mitigation achievable in each scenario and GHG abatement cost ($/tonne of CO2 equivalent mitigation) compared to the business-as-usual case. The energy demand (electricity and natural gas) of Alberta’s pulp and paper mills is expected to decrease from 20.37 PJ in 2010 to 19.46 PJ in 2050 in the BAU scenario. Twenty-eight scenarios were evaluated with the aim of reducing energy demand and mitigating emissions. These scenarios were developed for planning horizons of 2010-2030 and 2010-2050. Implementing the integrated scenarios can reduce emissions by 8.26 MT of CO2 eq. collectively for the years 2010-2050 compared to the BAU scenario.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Energy modelling
  • Energy demand tree
  • GHG mitigation
  • Pulp and Paper mills
  • LEAP modelling

• Graduation date

  Spring 2017

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3MC8RT9G

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.