The pulp and paper industry is positioning itself at the forefront of industrial decarbonization. Recent pilot projects have demonstrated that pulp mills can capture carbon dioxide with remarkable efficiency, while the unique nature of their emissions creates opportunities for genuine atmospheric carbon removal rather than mere emissions reduction.
Pilot Project Achieves Commercial Viability
A field demonstration at a Gulf Coast pulp and paper facility has delivered impressive results. Using liquid amine capture technology, engineers achieved 95% carbon dioxide capture rates over more than 4,000 hours of continuous operation. This performance level indicates the technology is ready for commercial deployment.
The project operator, CO280 Solutions, earned recognition on the 2026 Global Cleantech 100 list for this achievement. The company now has four additional projects at North American pulp mills advancing through engineering design phases, with investment decisions expected between 2026 and 2028.
Why Pulp Mills Are Ideal Candidates
Pulp mills offer unique advantages for carbon capture deployment:
- Concentrated CO2 streams from recovery boilers simplify capture
- Biogenic emissions mean capture creates genuine carbon removal
- Existing infrastructure reduces deployment costs
- Mills already manage large material flows and industrial processes
North American pulp mills alone represent potential removal capacity of 130 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. This scale positions the industry as a meaningful contributor to climate goals.
Federal Investment Accelerates Deployment
The U.S. Department of Energy has made $1.3 billion available through its Clean Energy Demonstrations office to support carbon capture commercialization. This funding is designed to bridge the gap between proven technology and widespread industrial adoption.
Projects at pulp mills are well-positioned to compete for this funding given their demonstrated technical feasibility and carbon removal potential.
Path to Carbon-Negative Products
When pulp mills capture and permanently store their biogenic emissions, the resulting paper products become carbon-negative. Trees absorb atmospheric CO2 during growth, and capturing mill emissions prevents that carbon from returning to the atmosphere. This lifecycle creates products with negative carbon footprints, offering brand owners and consumers meaningful climate impact through everyday paper purchases.
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