Reducing emissions and increasing bioenergy in North America

With innovation and ingenuity, we are making our mills eco-effective—reducing carbon emissions and maximising material and resource use at every opportunity.  

Transforming woodfibre into the paper products that people rely on every day is an energy-intensive process. With eco-effective actions big and small, Sappi mills in North America are reducing their carbon emissions and turning waste into new bioenergy resources. In a warming world with a growing population, we believe that becoming more eco-effective is not only our responsibility, it's a business imperative. 

Producing bioenergy 

The forest products industry in North America has actually become the largest producer of bioenergy of any industrial sector using co-generation technology. In our mills, it accounts for over 70 percent of the total energy consumed! And we're relentlessly working to explore new, more innovative ways to increase this share. We're proud to say that our eco-effective investments have given Sappi one of the lowest carbon footprints of coated freesheet suppliers in the United States. 

How co-generation works

The chemical recovery process is an integral part of the pulping operations at both our Somerset and Cloquet mills where we convert trees into pulp for paper and textile fibers like viscose and lyocell. This complex system recycles the chemicals used for cooking wood chips while also capturing tree bark and knots to feed a process that generates renewable, carbon-neutral energy for our mills. By co-generating steam and electricity on-site, our mills are extremely efficient and highly self-sufficient. Watch to learn more about bioenergy with Sappi.

 

Note: In reporting greenhouse gas emissions, we do not include carbon dioxide emissions derived from biogenic sources (e.g., woody biomass and black liquor). Recognition of the carbon neutrality of biogenic fuels is the basis for various pieces of legislation around the world. Sappi fully supports the AF&PA recommendation to treat forest-derived biomass as carbon neutral where the growth rate of forests is greater than or equal to harvest levels. We believe strongly that accounting frameworks should be regional and consistent with the US Forest Service’s robust Forest Inventory and Analysis Program. Furthermore, policies should not construct artificial mandates or incentives, which disrupt the nation’s existing efficient and balanced forest biomass markets.