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| Ministry of Agriculture
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Issue 7 August 2001
| From the Editor I am pleased to introduce this edition of MAF RM Update featuring issues of sustainability and challenges facing the New Zealand pulp and paper sector. Coming from a forestry background I thought it appropriate that this issue focus on this much maligned sector of the forest industry. The following series of invited articles from industry representatives will enlighten our readership to the environmental sophistication of this sector, while also acknowledging the levels of achievement being pursued by New Zealand's pulp and paper industry in setting new environmental benchmarks under the auspices of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). We have included the invited articles unabridged, although please note that they reflect the views of the author's and do not necessarily reflect government policy. One immediate challenge facing our nation's forestry sector will be a requirement for extra processing capacity to utilise wood residues, like pulp logs, wood chips, sawmill slabwood and other wood-based residues. The pulp and paper industry as a major consumer of wood-based residues will need to expand proportionately with the expanding availability of our plantation forests to utilise this sustainably managed resource. Finally, and sadly after 2½ years as editor of MAF RM Update, I am somewhat reluctantly handing over the reigns to Duane Redward who is a MAF Policy colleague of mine in Hastings. Through a change in editorship Duane will bring a new injection of enthusiasm and direction. I would like to thank all those writers who contributed to issues I have personally been involved with and acknowledge the ongoing support from the broad nationwide readership. John Vaney |
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Future Resource Management Issues Facing the New Zealand Pulp and Paper Industry
The New Zealand pulp and paper industry is predominantly based in the central North Island, and is a key component of the wood processing sector in utilising significant volumes of wood residues. Peter Sligh outlines some of the resource management challenges facing this industry.
Introduction
The industry in New Zealand comprises a range of processes that provide for both the New Zealand market and significant exports. The product range includes packaging papers and boards, tissue, newsprint, kraft (chemical) pulp, and mechanical pulps.
| Newsprint | Other paper and paperboard |
Kraft pulp | Mechanical pulp | |
| Production | 378,000 | 497,000 | 781,000 | 824,000 |
| Exports | 239,000 | 239,000 | 419,000 | 257,000 |
Table 1: Annual Production and Export of Pulp and Paper for Year Ended 31 December 2000 (tonnes)
The operations are based in Auckland, Kinleith, Kawerau, Whakatane, Napier and Karioi. A key aspect regarding the location of pulp and paper mills is a reliable water supply because of the large volumes traditionally used, and the need to discharge appropriately treated wastewater. Recent changes have resulted in significantly improved water use efficiency being a key mill design factor. Consequently, any new activity will not be faced with this now historical constraint. The other key location factors are proximity to the fibre and electricity supply.
The scale of the New Zealand mills is about mid-range by international comparison. While the mills have sometimes been described as old, they are generally modern in terms of technology as they have been progressively modernised and updated.
Sustainable and efficient resource user
The pulp and paper sector is an important component of the forestry sector. It is reliant on a supply of low-priced and quality fibre for processing into pulp for conversion into paper products in New Zealand and for export. Most of the wood supply for the sector is pulp logs, including thinnings, sawmill residues and recycled fibre. In this respect, the sector has been described as the efficient user of forest harvest residues that no-one else wants, or the forest garbage collector.
In particular, sawmill slabwood residues are important for specialty chemical pulps such as for fibre cement boards and other products. Here it replaces the now phased out use of asbestos for strength reinforcing. The entirely different fibre characteristics found in thinnings are important for some specialty paper grades.
Wood Processing Initiative
The Wood Processing Initiative is a partnership between government and industry. The initiative seeks to provide strategies to ensure that 50 percent of the increased New Zealand forest harvest is processed in New Zealand. The pulp and paper sector is being included along with all other wood processing options. This whole of government approach, in particular with industry, includes a work stream that is tasked to identify the roadblocks associated with the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). A key output from this work will be to implement actions that will contribute to the overall initiative objective. The significantly increased harvest and solid wood processing generate residual wood which is the raw material for pulp and paper. If this material is not processed on-shore it will probably be exported as chips.
Impacts of the RMA on the pulp and paper sector
The RMA has resulted in long and costly processes as companies renewed discharge permits. Permits have been renewed following these processes, but some companies have endured unnecessary and costly roadblocks, and some have faced long delays in the process. The industry has learned from this but remains concerned that some important changes sought to improve the RMA processes have not been made. The changes sought would not have had a detrimental effect on the delivery of the RMA environmental objectives.
In addition to the drain on financial and people resources, the terms of permits are generally short in relation to the nature of the industry investment, its impacts, and the inclusion of extensive review provisions.
Greenhouse gas emissions
The sector has a good understanding of its greenhouse gas emissions, and has made significant reductions since 1990, the year used as the baseline for the Kyoto Protocol. Because the sector is energy intensive it has addressed most of the energy efficiency opportunities as it has responded to the relentless need to reduce costs in order to remain internationally competitive.
The emission reductions between 1990 and 2000 have been achieved by energy efficiency gains, fuel switching, and the increased use of bio-fuels in the energy mix. The year 2000 emissions of 685,000 tonnes of CO2 were 4 percent below the 1990 level despite a 43 percent increase in production. The emissions per tonne of output (emissions intensity) reduced by 31 percent, reflecting significant improvements made by the mills.
| Pulp and paper mill output | 1,605,000 tonnes |
| Production increase, 1990 to 2000, % | 43% |
| Greenhouse gas emissions, 2000 | 685,000 tonnes CO2 |
| Actual emission reduction, 1990 to 2000, t CO2 | 4% |
| Emissions intensity reduction, 1990 to 2000, tCO2/t product | 31% |
Table 2: Pulp and Paper Mill Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Comments on forward issues in respect to resource management
The main ongoing resource management issues for the pulp and paper sector include the challenge of the reduction of wastewater colour from bleaching processes, the reduction of water use in processes, the protection of aquatic-dissolved oxygen in receiving water bodies, and other site-specific matters.
The wastewater colour issue is high profile and receives ongoing attention as viable and sustainable solutions continue to be sought by researchers and process developers for the global industry.
There is mounting evidence that environmental impacts from pulp and paper operations are generally minimal. The mills are 100 percent supplied with wood from sustainably managed plantation forests. There have been significant improvements made globally in some processes. The New Zealand mills have been among the leaders in many areas of improvement. More open public discussion on performance is gradually changing perceptions of the industry as being environmentally bad. Despite the present overall relatively good position, the industry works on a continuous improvement basis and will continue to make improvements where real environmental benefits will result.
The industry has been active in working with local communities and other interested stakeholders to enhance the understanding of resource management issues. While this understanding is now good, this remains an important activity in the forward processes as the sector seeks ongoing support for its existing and potential new operations.
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Peter Sligh Peter Sligh Consulting Ltd Kawerau Peter has more than 30 years' experience in the pulp and paper operations at Kawerau, mostly in mill and environmental management. Peter is involved with a number of industry organisations dealing with environment-related, operational and technical matters. He has recently established a consulting business focusing on environmental and strategic management, including business response to climate change policy and its development. peter.sligh@xtra.co.nz |
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Amber Duncalfe
Editor - RM Update
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
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NEW ZEALAND
Tel: +64 4 894 0710
Fax: +64 4 894 0745
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