Kraft pulp and paper mills generate large quantities of black liquor and by
product biomass suitable for gasification. These fuels are used today for o
nsite cogeneration of heat and power in boiler/steam turbine systems. Gasif
ication technologies under development would enable these fuels to be used
in gas turbines. This paper reports results of detailed full-load performan
ce modeling of pulp-mill cogeneration systems based on gasifier/gas turbine
technologies and, for comparison, on conventional steam-turbine cogenerati
on technologies. Pressurized, oxygen-blown black liquor gasification, the m
ost advanced of proposed commercial black liquor gasifier designs, is consi
dered, together with three alternative biomass gasifier designs under comme
rcial development (high-pressure air-blown, low-pressure air-blown, and lo-
pressure indirectly-heated). Heavy-duty industrial gas turbines of the 70-M
Wc and 25-MWc class are included in the analysis. Results indicate that gas
ification-based cogeneration with biomass-derived fuels would transform a t
ypical pulp mill into a significant power exporter and would also offer pos
sibilities for net reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide relative to pr
esent practice.