Wood Processing

Overview

Wood processing includes industries such as sawmills and pulp and paper plants. The largest energy using technologies are typically electric motors, kiln drying, boilers, process heat (steam systems) and fans. Process heat is often more than half of the site’s total energy use.

Other common technologies using between 5% and 20% of energy include fans, pumps, compressed air, and lighting.

One of the most cost effective and common energy saving opportunities is with keeping maintenance up to date. This includes numerous scheduled maintenance tasks such as keeping boilers tuned regularly, stopping diligently compressed air leaks (save 20% – 50% of compressed air energy) or keeping saws sharp.

Many energy saving opportunities also have a number of other benefits such as improving health and safety (such as stopping steam leaks and insulating steam lines) or productivity improvements (such as avoiding blockages on conveyors or not over drying timber).

Speed control of fans is a large energy saving option at a wood processing site. Often the payback period will be 0.5 to 2 years. Other options range from ensuring wood fuel is kept dry to recovering low temperature heat from compressed air systems.