Alternative disposal methods for pulp mill biosludge, TAPPI Journal July 2026

 


Application: Biosludge is a challenging side stream without feasible and energy-efficient usage or disposal possibilities. Production of biogas or hydrochar from biosludge would make biosludge usable and, when replacing combustion in mill boilers, improves the mill’s energy balance.

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Author: K. Kuparinen, S. Lipiäinen, O. Salcedo-Puerto, E. K. Vakkilainen, M. Hamaguchi, & F. Alobaid
Alternative disposal methods for pulp mill biosludge
ABSTRACT: The chemical pulp production process produces notable amounts of biosludge, mostly in the wastewater treatment system. Biosludge is a problematic waste stream due to its properties, and recently, its amounts have been on the increase. The most used disposal processes are incineration in a bark boiler or a recovery boiler now that landfilling is no longer permitted by legislation in many countries. Incineration of wet sludges with poor drying characteristics decreases the energy efficiency of the process. Biosludge is typically mixed with black liquor in the evaporation plant before feeding to the recovery boiler. Although the recovery boiler is designed to handle challenging fuels, biosludge disposal requires consideration of its behavior during evaporation and accumulation of non-process elements in the recovery cycle. This study discusses the currently used sludge handling methods and presents two novel methods, hydrothermal carbonization and anaerobic digestion, to convert sludge into a usable form. Production of hydrochar or biogas offers new usage possibilities for biosludge and improves the energy efficiency of the mill when the new methods replace incineration. The processes are still developing, and thus their economic feasibility is uncertain; however, depending on the case details, they can be considered promising alternatives to be implemented in the future.
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