Life cycle energy consumption analysis and green manufacture evolution for the papermaking industry in China.

Papermaking is a highly energy-consuming industry. The growth in paper demand will further intensify the need for energy and the stress of GHG emissions. Papermaking involves complex processing routes, and energy is required for collecting raw materials, producing chemicals, and pulp and papermaking. Previous investigations of energy consumption in the papermaking industry have focused primarily on the analysis of one single product or one single pathway, lacking a comprehensive and systematic comparison of various products and pathways. Herein, the results of a life cycle energy consumption analysis of major paper products in China using an extensive system boundary are presented. When 1 tonne of paper was produced in China in 2015, the maximum energy consumption was 38.17 GJ for tissue paper, with a minimum energy consumption of 15.90 GJ for corrugated medium. This study also predicts energy-related GHG emissions and a mitigation target in the papermaking industry in China by 2050. Although the energy consumption assumed to be distributed to the papermaking industry can meet its development requirements, the GHG emissions will exceed the mitigation target by about 101 Mt CO2 eq. in 2050 under current policy. The target can be achieved by changing the energy structure and promoting low-carbon technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]