Atlanta, Ga. - Tracks for the 2015 PEERS (Pulping, Engineering, Environmental, Recycling, Sustainability) Conference are planned and will be led by working professionals. Every session has been designed to address real challenges attendees face on the job.

Pulping: 

The Pulping Track at this year's conference consists of four tracks, including Pulping & Bleaching, Nonwood, Recycling, and Biorefinery.

• Pulping & Bleaching Track. Presentations and/or panels will cover the latest developments with: pulp washing; bleach plant optimization; advances in pulp manufacturing; pulping & bleaching yields; consistency controllers; and chip quality management.

• Recycling. This set of sessions brings together critical information for applying new research and application knowledge within the mill. Topics covered include: old corrugated container (OCC) repulpers; improving OCC fiber strength with refining and enzymes; stickies test methods, measurement and control; and global issues in paper recycling.

• Nonwood Track. The Nonwood Track includes presentations on: nonwood processing; utility and mill economics of bamboo as a papermaking raw material in the US; and pulping Straw & Malaysian Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch.

• Biorefinery Track. Discover new technologies and lessons learned from recovering lignin and acetic acid from process streams. Learn about fuel management opportunities with sludge and biosludge, as well as corrosion issues related to processing biorefinery operations. These PEERS sessions are “Bridge Sessions” leading into the International Bioenergy and Bioproducts Conference, and open to both IBBC and PEERS participants.

These PEERS sessions are “Bridge Sessions” leading into the International Bioenergy and Bioproducts Conference, and open to both IBBC and PEERS participants.

Engineering: 

The energy, power and recovery track will enable attendees to gain new insights on how to better improve the efficiency and reliability of your powerhouse, recausticizing, lime kiln, and power & recovery boiler operations. Presentations will cover various preventive methods for your powerhouse, common issues related to liquor cycle, and opportunities for energy savings and cost reduction for your recaustisizing, lime kiln and recovery boiler operations.

The corrosion and materials engineering track will focus on manageable solutions to common corrosion and equipment integrity challenges found in the pulp and paper industry. Attendees will hear from consultants, material suppliers and researchers, and mill engineers who are passionate about sharing their industry knowledge and expertise.

The engineering, safety and reliability track will enable attendees to increase their knowledge of capital project analysis topics, including feasibility studies and evaluating effectiveness gaps. Planning, design & execution of instrumentation replacement projects will also be discussed. In addition, surveys for guaging the general interest of an internet based ‘Mill Engineers Forum’ where personnel from mills can ask questions of experts about maintenance issues.

Environmental Track: 

This track brings together critical information for applying new research and application knowledge within mills as well as updates to current regulations that affect operations. Topics include:

• Wastewater Treatment

• Water Reuse and Reduction

• Air Emissions Issues

• Boiler MACT Update

Recycling Track: 

This set of sessions brings together critical information for applying new research and application knowledge within the mill. Topics covered will include old corrugated container (OCC) repulpers, improving OCC fiber strength with refining and enzymes, stickies test methods, measurement and control, and global issues in paper recycling.

Sustainability Track:

Breakout topics for this track will include:

• Life Cycle Assessment of Lignin Extraction in a Kraft Pulp Mill

• Carbon Neutrality and the Status of Efforts to Regulate Biogenic CO2

• ISO 14001 Changes

• Energy Efficiency III (Joint Session with Engineering)

• How North American Pulp and Paper Mills Can Recover Millions of Dollars Through Energy Audits and Management

Throughout the PEERS Conference program, leading-edge technical knowledge will be presented alongside opportunities for face-to-face access with industry experts, peers and colleagues. Conference attendees are active participants and contributors to Q&A sessions, “Ask the Experts” discussions, Roundtable forums, “What’s New” exhibits, topic-specific panels, and informal networking opportunities.

For more information please contact Lisa Stephens at [email protected].

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