Maine has 3 major mill operations, and 3 smaller facilities, which produce about half of the industrial CO2 in the entire state, something that Maine is trying to reduce to net zero by 2045. (Environmental pundits say it's a problem that these mills produce roughly half of the industrial CO2 in the state. But if 3 mills are producing half of Maine's CO2, I'd say that's a rather large economic problem right there.)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts received a $2.75 million grant from the US Department of Energy to study industrial drying techniques for commercial use, and one thing they're looking at is using lasers for reducing emissions (and hopefully costs) in the drying process in mills, particularly with paper and packaging.
So how would that work?
Now, these lasers are not laser pointers, nor are they the red-hot lasers that cut metal, but rather cooler beams with controlled energy. A lot of research is being done to find a "sweet spot", which hopefully exists, using the broad beam of a laser on paper to provide a dry, yet strong end product. - And which would remain strong, well after it's out the door.
So far, this laser technology seems to be working well on drying food and maintain its crunch. Researchers at WPI are hopeful the same technology can be used in paper mills too.
Also, thankfully, additional requirements for researchers require this laser technology to be developed so drying is more energy efficient without harming the quality or adding up costs. The biggest challenge currently is to retain the strength of paper and packaging materials. WPI is working with partner companies to determine whether laser drying could be a successful option.
If all goes well - if it's determined the paper and packaging material isn't degraded by the laser drying - then a mill would need to set a date to determine a design, and figure out the size of the laser modules needed. The beauty of these laser modules is that they're easy to retrofit, making it possible to reinvest in older facilities, and continue keeping local people employed.
And that's something everyone likes.
Will it increase costs? Who knows. Hopefully not, but no one knows until the research is done. Ideally it should decrease operational costs. And maintenance and maintenance costs for sure, if it works well. But it seems like the practicality of this working in a mill is a bit out in the future.
So keep your eyes and ears out for laser drying technology coming out of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. They're partnering with the Alliance for Pulp and Paper Technology Innovation on this project, so that's probably the best place to follow if you're interested.
And if you're looking for a nice place to vacation, Maine is beautiful (but not warm) any time of year.
Happy New Year to all! |
