India’s first paper industry was set-up in Behranpur in 1812. Initially, there were 15 paper mills in the country. However, the paper industry has grown at a steady pace.
The Indian paper industry accounts for 1.6% of the production of paper and paperboard around the world. We are the 12th largest producer of paper in the world with an estimated turnover of the industry being 25000 Crore. The paper industry was de-licensed in 1997 by the Government of India. In 2018, the industry received FDI worth 7.12 billion USD. Newsprint and publication consume 2 million tons of paper in India. The Indian paper industry produces 1.2 million tons of paper annually and imports 0.8 million tons of paper. The sector employs 0.12 million people directly and 0.34 million people indirectly.
Today India has over 800 paper mills all over the country. The Indian paper industry can be classified according to the raw material used:-
- Wood-based (40% wood-based paper mills)
- Agro-based (biogases, wheat straw, rice straw, sarkanda, jute, etc.) (30% agro-based paper mills)
- Recycle fiber (30% paper mills based on recycled or waste paper)
From Forest To Finished Product
The manufacturing process of paper is fascinating. The raw materials required for making paper include water, energy, chemicals, and wood chips (cellulose). Wood fiber often comes to the paper mill in the form of chips or logs. The logs need to be debarked before being sent to a chipper to form wood chips.
Making pulp
The wood chips are cooked in a chemical solution in huge vats called a digester (a high-pressure vessel). The chips are boiled with chemicals and are dissolved to form a pulp. The pulp is filtered and may be bleached, if required. This pulp is then sent for further processing.
Beating
The next process in manufacturing is called beating. The pulp is pounded and squeezed. Other filler materials, additives, and sizing are added to the pulp. Each material influences the property of the paper.
Pulp to paper
The pulp is fed into automated machines where the paper is squeezed through a series of rollers. The paper then moves to the press section where it is pressed between rollers. Steam heated cylinders help to remove the remaining water from the paper.
Finishing
The dried paper is wound into large reels where further processing depends on the ultimate application. Paper mills require steam for energy requirement, to dry the paper, and cook the wood chips in the digester.
Challenges Of The Paper Industry
The Indian paper industry is poised to touch 25 million tons with a growth rate of 10%. India produces many types of paper. The main issues in the paper industry are high production costs due to the high cost of raw materials, power costs, and the nonavailability of good-quality fiber. Other issues are uneconomical plant size, technology obsolesce, and environmental challenges. The industry is looking to modernize to improve profit margins.
Paper And Pulp Industry Boilers
Boilers in the paper industry are used to generate steam for power and process system. The high-pressure steam is used in steam turbines to produce electricity for the paper mill. Paper mill requires medium and low-pressure steam for various process applications such as heating and cooking the wood chips to make wood pulp.
Steam is also required in other applications of the paper mill such as to heat chemicals, dryer drums, and other process applications. The steam requirement of paper mills is high. So, it is desirable to install a boiler to meet the process and power requirements.
Reciprocating grate firing systems are common popular combustion technology for burning biomass fuels. The pulp and paper industry is a significant producer of renewable energy. The plant receives biomass feedstock in the form of wood chips, sawdust, and logs. Some mills process agro-waste.
Core Axis has been designing, supplying, and installing boilers all over India. We offer a wide range of solutions that include
captive power plants, cogeneration power plants, independent power plants, and energy to waste solutions. Core Axis provides
state-of-the-art industrial steam boilers for paper industry across India.