ANDRITZ to supply the first methanol liquefaction plant to Japanese pulp industry

The plant will be installed at the Tanigawa mill to replace fossil-based support fuel with renewable liquid methanol, a by-product of the chemical recovery process. This is the first plant of its kind in the Japanese pulp industry.
“With this investment, we are taking our first step toward becoming a biorefinery,” said Naoki Ikawa, Representative Executive Director of Hyogo Pulp Industries, Ltd.

Traditional pulp mills are increasingly evolving into biorefineries, where biomass is converted into various products, such as renewable methanol. ANDRITZ already offers a range of technologies for these future biorefineries and is continuously expanding its offering of solutions that help customers utilize the side streams from the pulp production process. This creates the basis for new value-added products and lays the foundation for zero emissions and zero waste production.

ANDRITZ methanol liquefaction technology converts the off-gas from the evaporation plant’s foul condensate stripping system into liquid fuel. This methanol-rich liquid fuel can be safely stored and used as support fuel in the recovery boiler or lime kiln, reducing the mill’s heavy oil consumption and thus CO2 emissions. ANDRITZ technology also enables the conversion of raw methanol into commercial grade biomethanol. Biomethanol, generated from non-fossil sources, contributes toward reducing fossil greenhouse gas emissions.

The start-up of the methanol liquefaction plant, together with a previously ordered multi-effect evaporation plant from ANDRITZ, is scheduled for July 2025.