ECF/TCF: the debate moves to marketing.

The high profile battle over kraft pulp bleaching has receded from the headlines. Where once there was loud public and legislative debate on the relative merits of elemental chlorine free (ECF) and totally chlorine free (TCF) pulp bleaching, today that front is mostly quiet. ECF has become the dominant pulp bleaching method, commanding 67% of world bleached chemical pulp production in 2000, and accounting for more than 53.1 million metric tons, according to the Alliance for Environmental Technology (AET). By contrast, TCF bleached pulp production in 2000 was about 5.5 million metric tons, representing 7% of the market. Production of ECF bleached pulp is expected to grow sharply in 2001 as the balance of U.S. mills come into compliance with the U.S. EPA's Cluster Rule.

Today, with regulatory issues in the U.S., Europe and Asia settled, the competition between pulp bleaching methods has moved to building markets for various products. Some environmental groups and other advocates claim that TCF bleaching is environmentally superior to ECF and are encouraging consumers who use bleached paper and board to purchase products made from TCF pulp, or from recycled furnish that has not been treated with chlorine-containing compounds. They also say that TCF pulp can meet or exceed the quality parameters of ECF bleached pulp.

Pulp and paper companies, however, point to research showing that there is no environmental difference between ECF and TCF bleaching, and that higher costs and strength problems associated with TCF bleaching make it a less desirable process. The industry has demonstrated to regulators and customers that ECF is a technically-sound process that produces minimum environmental impact.

While the regulatory debate is over, the marketing competition continues. While TCF pulp has only a small share of the global market for bleached kraft pulp, TCF products are established in Europe and a small but growing number of producers in North America are marketing products using virgin TCF pulp as well as "processed chlorine free" (PCF) recycled products. (Editor's Note: processed chlorine free is a trademark of the Chlorine Free Product Association.)

PROCESS CHANGES

The discovery of trace levels of dioxin in pulp mill effluent in the 1980s led to wholesale changes in the bleaching process for mills around the world. Elemental chlorine was quickly identified as the culprit producing this "bad actor" and the pulp and paper industry began examining alternatives. As a result, chlorine gas, once the dominant pulp bleaching chemical, is being phased out. ECF bleached pulp production grew from 3.5 million metric tons in 1990 to 53.1 million metric tons in 2000, while TCF production grew from 100,000 metric tons to 5.2 million metric tons over the same period, according to AET. By contrast, "other" pulp bleaching methods (largely elemental chlorine based) dropped from 62.7 million metric tons in 1990 to just 20.6 million metric tons in 2000.

In North America, ECF production in 2000 increased 10% over the previous year, reaching 80% of bleached chemical pulp production. No growth was reported in TCF production. In Canada, bleached chemical pulp remained at 10.7 million metric tons in 2000, more than 90% of the market. In the United States, ECF production grew by 15% to more than 20 million metric tons, representing about 75% of U.S. bleached chemical pulp production.

Most of the change has been driven by the U.S. EPA's Cluster Rule for the pulp and paper industry, which is based in part on using ECF as the Best Available Technology for bleached paper grade kraft and soda mills. The International Joint Commission, a body that monitors and reports on the progress of the United States and Canada toward restoring and maintaining the waters of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreements, noted in its 10th Biennial Report that "a notable accomplishment occurred when the pulp and paper industry changed its process for pulp bleaching by substituting chlorine dioxide for elemental chlorine. This substitution virtually eliminates the production of dioxins from pulp and paper mills."

ECF demand in Scandinavia remains strong, accounting for 75% of bleached chemical pulp production, about triple the amount of demand for TCF. ECF has been recognized as a component of "Best Available Techniques" by the European Community in its Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) reference document.

In Japan, which produces about 8 million metric tons of beached chemical pulp annually, all major bleached pulp producers have reportedly committed to eliminate elemental chlorine and, in many cases, are converting to ECF.

CASE CLOSED?

The conversion to ECF by most kraft pulp mills has taken the environmental issue off the table, according to some observers. Since the majority of pulp manufacturers are now using ECF as their standard bleaching technology, the marketing issues surrounding pulp manufacture are once again focused on traditional attributes, such as quality, unique characteristics, price, and the technical service of the producer.

The relative environmental benefits of ECF vs. TCF is a non issue, according to Douglas Pryke, executive director of the Alliance for Environmental Technology, based in Washington, D.C. "An overwhelming number of environmental performance studies demonstrate that, particularly in the area of mill effluent, there is no measurable difference in environmental performance between ECF and TCF bleaching," he said. "In the U.S., the Cluster Rule recognizes ECF as a best available technology (BAT) and new European BAT standards do not favor one technology over another."

Pryke points out that in Europe, which had earlier seen highly vocal debate even within the paper industry over the merits of TCF and ECF bleaching, new and rebuilt pulp mills are including ECF as part of their technology packages. He points to the Mercer International Rosenthal mill in southern Germany, which converted from sulphite to kraft pulping and installed a bleaching system that can produce both ECF and TCF pulp. Its production is currently about 75% ECF.

Likewise, Mercer International's greenfield Stendal kraft mill, to be built in Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany, was originally planned to be exclusively TCF but will now have ECF capability. Also, the Munksjo Aspa Bruk mill, one of the first kraft mills in Sweden to produce TCF exclusively, recently built a new chlorine dioxide stage so it can produce ECF pulp.

"One way to interpret these moves is that companies have recognized that the environmental performance of ECF and TCF is equivalent and they want the capability to meet market demand for either product," said Pryke.

TCF pulp producers have apparently changed their marketing rhetoric as well. The main promoter of TCF in Europe in the 1990s was the Sodra Cell Group. Today, the company positions itself as a producer of many different market pulp grades, making the grades that customers request.

NICHE MARKET

Nils Johansson, technical marketing director for Eka Chemicals, says that production of ECF pulp is growing rapidly and dominating the market. "ECF bleaching produces desired pulp qualities while minimizing wood losses and being environmentally equivalent to TCF bleaching," he said. "TCF is essentially a niche market, with significant volume only in Europe." He said that other environmental concerns, such as bio-chemical oxygen demand (COD), are getting more attention from regulators and pulp manufacturers who consider the ECF/TCF issue settled.

Technical merits are driving the success of ECF pulping, according to Peter Hart, process engineering manager for the Westvaco Evadale mill in Evadale, Texas, USA. "In general, TCF pulps have not reached the brightness levels their producers had hoped," he said.

DEVELOPING THE TCF MARKET

While ECF pulp has become the dominant method of pulp bleaching, TCF advocates say that ECF bleaching releases "high levels" of halogenated organic pollutants into the environment, and that since TCF bleaching does not release these pollutants it is an environmentally superior process. Promoters of TCF are working to build consumer demand for products made from pulp bleached without the use of chlorine or chlorine dioxide.

For example, the Chlorine Free Products Association (CFPA), based in Algonquin, Illinois, USA, sponsors two certification programs for pulp and paper producers and distributors: Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) for virgin pulp and Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) for recycled paper products.

Under the program, TCF is defined as a virgin product produced without the use of chlorine or chlorine containing compounds, or its agents. PCF covers products made from feedstock where all recycled fibers meet EPA or Regional Authority guidelines for recycled or post consumer content, and have not been bleached with chlorine-containing compounds. Any virgin fiber used in PCF products must be TCF. Both certifications require producers to be clear of any current or pending environmental permit violations and to use pulp fiber from sustainably harvested forests.

According to Archie Beaten, executive director of CFPA, many U.S. states have issued purchasing preferences, resolutions, and executive orders for PCF and TCF paper products, including Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon and Vermont. Many local and county governments have done the same. Typically, these preferences allow government agencies to purchase PCF and TCF products at higher prices than comparable paper products.

Also, the U.S. EPA now requires that paper for EPA publications and copiers at EPA headquarters contain at least 50% post-consumer fiber and be bleached without the use of chlorine or chlorine containing compounds whenever possible. The new policy applies only to white cover and text stocks.

CFPA has certified several producers of TCF and PCF products in North America and Europe, including:

* Breaky, a unit of Cascades (deinked pulp), PCF

* Great Northern Paper (coated paper), TCF

* Perkins Papers Ltd., a division of Cascades (tissue and towel), PCF

* Rolland Fine Papers, a division of Cascades (copy papers and printing offset), PCF

* Samoa Pacific Cellulose LLC (kraft pulp), TCF.

* Seventh Generation (tissue and towel), PCF; and sanitary products, TCF

* Z Pulp, a unit of Sodra Cell (hardwood and softwood pulp), TCF

* Temcell, a unit of Tembec (CTMP), TCF

Beaton says that demand for TCF and PCF products in North America is growing and that "our problem is getting enough suppliers to produce them. Some paper companies are not willing or capable of meeting our standards, but a growing number of North American producers are doing TCF and PCF trials."

According to Beaton, retention rates for customers purchasing TCF and PCF products are very high, ranging from 85% to 95%, based on the "added value" of certification. While mass market paper producers compete largely on price, Beaten said that customers for TCF and PCF products are so concerned about the environmental effects of pulp bleaching that they continue to buy these products despite higher prices.

MARKET FACTORS

Now that the ECF/TCF debate has shifted to the market, end customers will make the final decision on the merits of each product. So far, ECF has dominated the market and is widely accepted, but advocates of TCF will likely try to keep the debate alive for years to come.

About the author: Alan Rooks is editorial director of Solutions! magazine. Contact him at [phone], or by e-mail at: [e-mail]