We take paper and cardboard for granted in everyday life. Especially for packaging, these products are indispensable. Questions about energy consumption in the paper industry have arisen not only since the current energy crisis.

Like many other industrial sectors, it too must face up to the challenges of producing more sustainably and ecologically. Economy and ecology cannot be separated from each other. With rising energy prices, it is a necessity to reduce energy consumption as much as possible. At the same time, the economic constraint is benefiting increasingly ecological paper production.

The main criteria for economy and ecology in the paper industry are the consumption of electricity, water and wood. Electricity consumption is the most important factor, because energy is also consumed in the provision of water and wood.

What is the paper industry currently doing to influence energy consumption? What about climate neutrality in paper production? Find out more about the role that green electricity and the sustainability aspect can play.

How much energy does paper production require?

To give you an idea of the energy consumption in paper production, we show you the following calculation:

Per capita paper consumption in Germany is around 250 kg per year. There are different figures on the energy consumption for paper production. Nature conservation organizations speak of an energy consumption of around 1300 kWh for 250 kg of paper.

The paper industry itself describes a current consumption of 530 kWh for around 200 kg of paper. The discrepancy between these figures is probably due, among other things, to the fact that the paper industry has been making efforts to reduce energy consumption for some time.

Industry publications rightly emphasize that energy consumption has been reduced by around 68 percent since 1955. In 2015, the entire paper industry in Germany consumed 65.7 TWh. In the meantime, the industry is talking about consumption of around 19 TWh per year.

Within the manufacturing industry as a whole, the paper industry accounts for only 6.3 percent of primary energy consumption.

The paper industry has been striving for decades to further reduce energy consumption. It is not one of the largest consumers among the manufacturing industries.

Why is sustainability important here?

Energy is consumed at several key points during paper production. The more we succeed in bringing energy use and energy generation into closed cycles, the more sustainable and thus resource-conserving energy consumption becomes.

Sustainable energy generation and use stand for reliable energy supply. In the context of the energy transition, it is important for the system-relevant paper industry that reliable energy is available at all times. In September 2022, the paper industry drew attention to these interrelationships in a position paper.

Rising prices can quickly threaten the very existence of companies. Here, market conditions change in a way to which the companies involved cannot react quickly enough.

Possibility of switching to green electricity

More and more companies in the paper industry are independently generating the energy they need. However, switching to green electricity across the board still poses major challenges for participating companies. The key industry of paper depends on energy being available at all times to match production processes.

This is still not always guaranteed in the case of so-called green electricity or green power. According to current knowledge, the technical challenges associated with storing solar and wind energy have not yet been fully overcome. This has a greater impact in the industrial sector than in private electricity supply, because the quantities of electricity required are many times higher.

The paper industry is endeavoring to become more ecological in its electricity generation as well. However, as long as green electricity is not yet a completely reliable source of energy, paper companies are also relying on conventional power generation.

They have clearly expressed these principles in the position paper from September 2022. Due to the uncertainties that still exist in the supply of green electricity, a complete switch to renewable energies cannot be realized at present.

At present, most companies in the paper industry consider natural gas to be indispensable as an energy source. Natural gas currently secures up to 55 percent of the energy supply for paper companies.

A complete switch to green electricity is not yet possible because the technical prerequisites are not in place. There is a lack of technical possibilities here to ensure a reliable energy supply.

Possibility of own energy production of the manufacturer

Many companies in the paper industry would like to be self-sufficient in energy sooner rather than later. Many have also made initial efforts in this direction. Nevertheless, most companies today still cannot manage without the influx of external energy.

More than 10 years ago, research work was already looking at greater energy efficiency for paper companies and the possibilities of generating their own energy. There is no one solution for every paper company. Challenges for possible alternatives of own energy generation are primarily the following:

• Future-oriented energy generation would have to be climate-neutral and sustainable. Each individual paper company may incur costs that cannot be managed by one company alone.
• It is likely that several paper companies would have to join forces to jointly generate energy. It is questionable whether the competitors in energy production can find each other.
• The time factor for self-generation of energy is problematic. New technologies have to be installed first. However, the current energy crisis is already causing difficulties for companies.

Economic factor energy

Energy is increasingly becoming a decisive economic factor, and not only in paper companies. This is particularly evident in the Ukraine crisis. There is currently no end in sight to the crisis.

In the context of the envisaged energy turnaround, further bottlenecks may arise in the energy supply of key energies such as the paper industry. The energy factor is therefore increasingly becoming a question of economic survival.

Paper companies need to invest even more in the energy efficiency of their production. The problem is that the current economic situation is already hardly conducive to investment. Without government support, it seems difficult to be able to invest in new technologies in production and energy generation in the middle of the crisis.

The systemic relevance of the paper companies is beyond question. If politicians do not decide to support the paper industry, economic upheavals may result via the energy factor.

The economic consequences for the entire economic exhibition of the Federal Republic of Germany are hardly foreseeable. Hardly any area of life can do without paper and packaging. Many other key industries and service providers such as mail order or delivery services depend on the packaging industry of the paper companies alone.

Overall, new concepts are needed to further strengthen the recycling aspect of paper. Paper is a valuable commodity, and not just in terms of energy. We still use it far too wastefully. Paper companies cannot solve this problem alone. It is up to politicians and society to come up with viable concepts for the future.

Paper companies are continuing to work on increasing energy efficiency in production in order to consume less energy. This is precisely where economy meets ecology. The ecological restructuring of the key industry is at the same time an economic requirement.

Feel free to contact us! We will help you through the packaging jungle and provide you with all the information you need.

Conclusion: Paper industry and energy - everything is on the move

Paper companies are coming under severe pressure in the current energy crisis. Although they are not among the most energy-intensive industrial sectors, they are dependent on a reliable and sustainable energy supply.

In recent years and decades, the industrial sector has made many efforts of its own to reduce energy consumption in a confirmed manner. Some of these efforts have already been crowned with success.

Nevertheless, companies must not slacken their efforts to save even more energy at present. A difficult requirement in the midst of a crisis-ridden development and great economic pressure.

Economy and ecology cannot be separated in the energy supply of paper companies. The industry needs the support of politicians in order to position itself for the future and to be able to actively support the energy turnaround.

FAQ

Why have paper companies been striving to become more ecological for a long time?

For the paper industry, ecology and economy are closely intertwined. In times of rising energy prices, this system-relevant industry is striving to save even more energy. Paper production depends on reliable and affordable energy.

Why is a possible switch to green electricity proceeding only slowly?

This problem is not limited to paper companies. The entire energy transition is currently still characterized by many unresolved issues.

What are the prospects for energy and the paper industry?

Change processes in the paper industry are currently part of everyday life. The key industry must quickly adapt to changing conditions in energy supply and energy prices. Since paper and board are indispensable, it can be assumed that the change processes will succeed. However, at the end of all the changes, the industry will have a somewhat different face. The general, societal appreciation for paper and board will have to increase further as prices continue to rise.