Page 77 - European Energy Innovation - Summer 2015 publication
P. 77
Summer 2015 European Energy Innovation 77
PULP & PAPER
Rewarding investments in Europe:
time for energy efficiency and
innovation policy to join together
By Nicola Rega, CEPI Climate Change and Energy Manager
The pulp and paper bio, and circular economy. Last Therefore, measures to reduce
industry is the fourth year, the industry invested more the energy gap are urgently
industrial energy than 250 million euro in projects needed. Measures which include
consumer in Europe, directly or indirectly leading to improvements in the functioning
and the second when it comes to more energy efficiency. For the of the internal energy market,
electricity consumption. Energy period 2015-2017, additional allowing industry to capture the
accounts for about 20% of our investments worth 5 billion euro benefits of low wholesale prices
cost base and, most crucially, it have already been committed at the time electricity is produced
is the key cost component that for state-of-the-art processes from non-programmable
determines the winners and that deliver jobs, optimum renewables, and conducting
losers in an extremely competitive environmental protection as research to lower the costs of
market. That is why energy well as higher productivity, electricity production. Industry
efficiency is such a key priority for improved energy efficiency, competitiveness should also be
our sector. and a significantly lower carbon preserved, particularly in view of
footprint. energy-related add-ons due to
With 85% of our energy regulatory costs.
consumption and about 80% of This being said, is the future
our greenhouse gas emissions looking bright for our industry? In the long term, energy
coming from pulping and from Not quite yet. Besides the efficiency improvements will
the pressing and drying section, weak economic recovery and not be sufficient to meet the
our sector is in need of both the difficulties of investing in 2050 greenhouse gas target. In
steam and electricity. Thus, it a mature, and in some cases our sectoral roadmap, we have
comes as no surprise that our declining European market, the identified a technology gap that
companies have all installed sector is confronted with two will need to be filled by 2030
combined heat and power major challenges, for the short in order to have breakthrough
generation, producing almost and long term respectively. technologies commercially
97% of the on-site electricity available.
generation, with primary In the short term, the energy gap
efficiency often above 90%. with other competing economies To address this technology
outside the EU is a major gap, in 2012 the European pulp
Moreover, with 82% of our raw concern. The recently published and paper industry set up the
material sourced from within European Competitiveness “Two Team Project” to identify
Europe, either from virgin or Report already warned that, breakthrough technology
recycled fibres, the pulp and “even though EU firms have concepts that would give the
paper industry is truly a European scored highly in terms of energy industry the required dynamic
sector. The plan is to maintain our efficiency, it is not enough to to achieve these targets (www.
identity by investing in Europe, fully offset the negative impact of unfoldthefuture.eu). After
tapping into the combined energy price rises on industrial one year of intense work, we
potentials of the low-carbon, competitiveness.” identified eight concepts to
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
PULP & PAPER
Rewarding investments in Europe:
time for energy efficiency and
innovation policy to join together
By Nicola Rega, CEPI Climate Change and Energy Manager
The pulp and paper bio, and circular economy. Last Therefore, measures to reduce
industry is the fourth year, the industry invested more the energy gap are urgently
industrial energy than 250 million euro in projects needed. Measures which include
consumer in Europe, directly or indirectly leading to improvements in the functioning
and the second when it comes to more energy efficiency. For the of the internal energy market,
electricity consumption. Energy period 2015-2017, additional allowing industry to capture the
accounts for about 20% of our investments worth 5 billion euro benefits of low wholesale prices
cost base and, most crucially, it have already been committed at the time electricity is produced
is the key cost component that for state-of-the-art processes from non-programmable
determines the winners and that deliver jobs, optimum renewables, and conducting
losers in an extremely competitive environmental protection as research to lower the costs of
market. That is why energy well as higher productivity, electricity production. Industry
efficiency is such a key priority for improved energy efficiency, competitiveness should also be
our sector. and a significantly lower carbon preserved, particularly in view of
footprint. energy-related add-ons due to
With 85% of our energy regulatory costs.
consumption and about 80% of This being said, is the future
our greenhouse gas emissions looking bright for our industry? In the long term, energy
coming from pulping and from Not quite yet. Besides the efficiency improvements will
the pressing and drying section, weak economic recovery and not be sufficient to meet the
our sector is in need of both the difficulties of investing in 2050 greenhouse gas target. In
steam and electricity. Thus, it a mature, and in some cases our sectoral roadmap, we have
comes as no surprise that our declining European market, the identified a technology gap that
companies have all installed sector is confronted with two will need to be filled by 2030
combined heat and power major challenges, for the short in order to have breakthrough
generation, producing almost and long term respectively. technologies commercially
97% of the on-site electricity available.
generation, with primary In the short term, the energy gap
efficiency often above 90%. with other competing economies To address this technology
outside the EU is a major gap, in 2012 the European pulp
Moreover, with 82% of our raw concern. The recently published and paper industry set up the
material sourced from within European Competitiveness “Two Team Project” to identify
Europe, either from virgin or Report already warned that, breakthrough technology
recycled fibres, the pulp and “even though EU firms have concepts that would give the
paper industry is truly a European scored highly in terms of energy industry the required dynamic
sector. The plan is to maintain our efficiency, it is not enough to to achieve these targets (www.
identity by investing in Europe, fully offset the negative impact of unfoldthefuture.eu). After
tapping into the combined energy price rises on industrial one year of intense work, we
potentials of the low-carbon, competitiveness.” identified eight concepts to
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
