Improved energy efficiency in a specialty paper mill

Energy costs at the James River KVP mill have increased sixfold since the 1973 oil embargo. The cost of energy now surpasses the cost of labor and is second only to that of pulp. Economic pressures thus provide a powerful incentive for efficient use of energy. The KVP mill is a nonintegrated mill that is capable of producing up to 450 tons/day of specialty papers. The mill is equipped with six paper machines, six parchment machines, three off-machine coaters, and related converting equipment. Energy is supplied by a central powerhouse that is equipped with: Two gas/oil-fired Combustion Engineering VU50 power boilers, each capable of producing 210,000 lb/h of 850-psig steam at 825/sup 0/F; One gas/oil-fired Riley water tube boiler capable of producing 150,000 lb/h of 220-psig steam at 525/sup 0/F; Two General Electric turbine generators. No. 5 condensing machine: throttle steam, 850 psig; high-pressure extraction, 220 psig; low-pressure extraction, 220 psig; low-pressure extraction, 38 psig; maximum generation, 9500 kW. No. 6 condensing machine: throttle steam, 850 psig; low-pressure extraction, 38 psig; maximum generation, 9500 kW.