Process synthesis and design of integrated biorefinery in pulp and paper industry

Abstract

Integration of biorefinery into pulp and paper industry has been considered as sustainable development for pulp and paper industry and lignocellulosic biorefinery. High value-added biochemical, biofuel and bioenergy productions could be implemented into existing pulp mills by material and utility integration. A systematic methodology employing a superstructure-based process synthesis, process design and innovation is an effective approach to explore potential pathways for both economic and environmental sustainability with support from computer-aided tools. A superstructure of the multi-product biorefinery process network with the pulp and paper industry is developed and optimized with the objective to maximize profit. The synthesis results project the optimal integrated biorefinery combined with pulp and paper mills for further design. Process design and evaluation provide useful insights to assess the process performance and define process weakness for improvement by innovation. The cleaner alternatives implementing the CO2 utilization via methanol production and solar energy is considered for process innovation comparing to the base case. Integrated biorefinery systems into the existing pulp mill is proven that can potentially enhance profitability and environmental benefit beyond conventional pulp mill and promote bioproducts for sustainable society.