Introducing Anaerobic Co-Digestion in the Pulp and Paper Industry

Yuen Foong Yu (YFY) leverages its proprietary anaerobic bacteria, extensive big data databases, and expertise in biogas power generation to convert organic waste in the papermaking process's discharge water into green energy through anaerobic treatment.

Traditionally, the pulp and paper industry employs aerobic methods to treat waste water generated by process, breaking down organic matter to produce CO2 and meet discharge standards. Yung Feng Yuh’s anaerobic approach not only treats wastewater to meet effluent standards but also utilizes the resulting biogas to generate green electricity.

Decomposing Organic Sludge to Create Taiwan's Largest Biogas Power Plant

To enhance the efficiency and capacity of its water treatment system, YFY's Hsin Wu Mill has been actively developing an anaerobic treatment system since 2016. By using its exclusive anaerobic bacteria, the system can convert organic materials in the water into methane and other substances within just 4 hours, achieving a methane concentration of 83%. The biogas produced is then purified through biological desulfurization for use in biogas power generation.

Taiwan's Only Integrated Upstream, Midstream, and Downstream Renewable Energy System

Hsin Wu Mill employs anaerobic co-digestion technology to process organic sludge from papermaking wastewater along with organic resources from other industries, such as agricultural materials, food processing sludge, and sewage sludge. Through microbial decomposition of organic matter, the system produces biogas that replaces coal for electricity generation.

The green energy team at YFY also utilizes systematic database analysis and resource characteristics management, integrating upstream sludge digestion, midstream anaerobic biogas production, and downstream boiler fuel blending ratios. This comprehensive approach maximizes power generation benefits, making it the only renewable energy system in Taiwan with integrated upstream, midstream, and downstream supply chain capabilities.

Benefits

  • The annual processing capacity of pulp sludge reaches 26,000 tons.
  • The anaerobic co-digestion system processes 26,000 tons of sludge annually.
  • The biogas power plant has a capacity of 5.2 MW, generating 42 million kWh of electricity per year.