MILL USE OF PETCOKE AS AN

ALTERNATIVE LIME KILN FUEL TO

REDUCE ENERGY COSTS
Hassan Loutfi and Tom Harriz,
Jacobs Engineering Group
Extended Abstract:
The rising cost of energy is forcing all industries to look
for lower cost and more efficient fuel sources. A Lime
Kiln consumes approximately 15% of the total purchased
energy for an integrated pulp & paper mill, so a
significant improvement in Kiln fuel cost will be seen on
the bottom line.
Petcoke is a low cost alternative fuel to the current
predominate energy sources; primarily No. 6 fuel oil and
natural gas. Petcoke is a byproduct of the oil refining
cracking process; wherein heavy oil residuals are
subjected to extreme heat in the presence of steam.
Virtually all the volatile phases are driven off, leaving a
solid residual product consisting mainly of carbon literally the bottom of the petroleum barrel. It has
recently been selling at 10% of the cost of Natural Gas on
Lower Heating Value (net heat) Basis.
Petcoke has been effectively used in cement kilns for
some time. Consequently, material handling and
combustion control issues are well understood. It can be
handled and burned like pulverized coal.
Compared to oil and gas, it is characterized as low
volatile, very low ash, high fixed carbon and high sulfur
content. Because of the high carbon fraction of this fuel,
it requires less combustion air than gas or oil per unit heat
release and for that reason produces less flue gas volume,
so combustion air and flue gas support systems are not
further burdened.
Hindering broad acceptance of Petcoke for Lime Kiln
operation is concern over the impact of firing a fuel
containing 3 7% sulfur and about 0.3% impurities to
the mill liquor cycle.
Impurities in the fuel include traces of vanadium and
nickel. These trace metal species are generally captured
by wet and dry flue gas scrubbers and have little impact
on final stack gas quality.

out with the Slaker dregs. The remainder of the sulfur in

Petcoke will combines with the sodium ions that enter the
Kiln, primarily with the washed lime mud from the
causticizers, contributing to formation of sodium sulfate
(Na2SO4) which is carried as an inert through the liquor
cycle until converted back to sodium sulfide (Na2S) in
the Recovery Boiler.
With this net cycle increase in sulfur, sodium make-up in
the form of caustic soda (NaOH) is needed to maintain
desired Sulphidity level and the overall sodium sulfur
balance.
The net impact of firing Petcoke in the Lime Kiln, on
energy use and sodium-sulfur balance is identified with a
mathematical model of the process area mass and energy
balances. The model is based on a1000 short ton per day
unbleached Kraft pulp operation with the following
parameters:

o
o
o
o

Unbleached pulp yield = 52%

White Liquor Active Alkali = 15.50%
White Liquor Sulphidity = 25%
White Liquor Active Alkali as Na2O = 6.5 Lb/ft3
(104 g/L)

o White Liquor Total Alkali as Na2O = 8.22 Lb/ft3

o
o
o
o
o
o

(132 g/L)
Lime availability = 81% (% CaO)
% Fuel replaced by Petcoke = 80%
Price of #6 Fuel Oil = $60.00 / BBL
Price of Natural Gas = $9.50 / MMBTU
Price of Petcoke = $29.00 / Ton of 5% sulfur
grade
An average Kiln requires 7.2 MMBTU/Ton to
convert mud into Lime

Process simulation identifies a Kiln production of 250

Ton / day of 81% active Lime product. Calculating the
difference in the cost of energy supplied as 100% natural
gas (or No. 6 fuel oil) to that for an 80% mixture of
Petcoke and 20% gas (or oil) yields over $4.1 million
gross annual savings. Factoring in the impact of
increased sulfur input to the cycle, and compensating
Caustic demand, the net annual savings are found to be
approximately $2.7 million.

About 67% of the sulfur in Petcoke reacts with the Kiln

product, Active Lime, which is an excellent sulfur
dioxide sorbent. Inert gypsum is formed, which settles

2007 International Chemical Recovery Conference

87