India's paper and pulp industry is among the most energy-intensive manufacturing sectors, consuming 15–25 GJ of energy per tonne of paper produced. Paper mills in Gujarat (Vapi, Surat, Navsari) and Maharashtra (Pune, Kolhapur, Aurangabad) are under dual pressure: rising coal costs and PAT (Perform, Achieve, Trade) Scheme targets for specific energy consumption reduction. Biomass pellets offer a technically sound, PAT-compliant pathway to meet both challenges.
Energy Consumption in Paper Manufacturing
A typical small-to-mid-sized paper mill (50–200 TPD capacity) operates multiple boilers: a recovery boiler (for black liquor incineration in kraft mills), a power boiler (for captive electricity generation), and a process steam boiler. The power boiler is the most suitable for biomass pellet substitution.
Co-Firing vs Full Substitution
Most paper mills start with 20–30% biomass co-firing with coal in their power boilers before evaluating full substitution. Co-firing at this level typically requires:
- Modification of coal feeders to handle pellet density (pellets are denser than coal fines)
- Air-fuel ratio recalibration by boiler OEM or licensed boiler engineer
- Stack emission re-baseline test after co-firing commencement
BBI's technical team can connect customers with boiler engineers experienced in biomass co-firing conversions in the paper sector.
PAT Scheme Benefit for Paper Mills
Under the Bureau of Energy Efficiency's PAT Scheme (Cycle VII and beyond), substituting coal with biomass in the paper sector earns Energy Saving Certificates (ESCerts). Each ESCert represents 1 metric tonne of oil equivalent (1 MTOE) in energy savings. Biomass substitution is one of the fastest pathways to PAT compliance for paper mills consuming over 30,000 MTOE/year.
Supply Capacity for Large Paper Mills
BBI can supply 200–500 MT/month to large paper mill clients through a combination of direct production and aggregated supply network. For mills requiring 1,000+ MT/month, a dedicated supply partnership with price indexing to agro-commodity markets can be structured.
Discuss your paper mill fuel requirements with BBI's technical team.