Agree on your key points on energy in Nip Impressions.
However, I think you underplayed energy conservation a bit. Mills I have visited in North America are usually much less energy efficient than in Europe, even when energy prices are equal. Management attitude is the difference.
Paper mills will always need to buy fuel, but not as much as most do today.
In the case of kraft mills, there is a permanent in-house source, free of politics. - Black Liquor.
The recent South American mills I have worked, and others, in run on BL only (except for the lime kiln) and export enough electric power to pay for any kind of purchased kiln fuel. One key is good engineering in the mill. Another is a high pressure boiler.
Even for the kiln, wood firing, or at least partial wood firing, has good potential, unless natural gas stays cheap.
Agreed that corn ethanol etc, and probably bio-fuel from-wood-waste will rely on politicians.
Neil McCubbin
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