Integration of Advanced Gas Turbines in Pulp and Paper Mills for Increased Power Generation

Abstract

The pulp and paper industry handles large amounts of energy and today produces the steam needed for the process and some of the required electricity. Several studies have shown that black liquor gasification and combined cycles increase the power production significantly compared to the traditional processes used today. It is of interest to investigate the performance when advanced gas turbines are integrated with next-generation pulp and paper mills. The present study focused on comparing the combined cycle with the integration of advanced gas turbines such as steam injected gas turbine (STIG) and evaporative gas turbine (EvGT) in pulp and paper mills. Two categories of simulations have been performed: (1) comparison of gasification of both black liquor and biomass connected to either a combined cycle or steam injected gas turbine with a heat recovery steam generator; (2) externally fired gas turbine in combination with the traditional recovery boiler. The energy demand of the pulp and paper mills is satisfied in all cases and the possibility to deliver a power surplus for external use is verified. The study investigates new system combinations of applications for advanced gas turbines.