Paper Machine Production Efficiency as a Key Performance Indicator of Energy Efficiency

Energy is both a resource and a saleable product in the pulp and paper industry. In a highly volatile energy market, an operating strategy that maximises profitability has to be flexible in terms of making a trade-off between maximising production and minimising production costs. Profitability is therefore sensitive to changes in energy efficiency as a metric that quantifies the relationship between production and energy consumption. In this paper we present how the production efficiency of a paper machine relates to energy efficiency. We discuss the classification of time and the relationship between production rate, energy efficiency and profitability to develop key performance indicators for energy efficiency.