EPISODE · Jun 3, 2026 · 12 MIN
The US Paper Mill That Cut Natural Gas Use by 60 Percent
from The Manufacturing Economy with Fexingo: Factories, Industrial Output, and Domestic Production · host Fexingo
Episode 28 of The Manufacturing Economy looks at a single paper mill in Wisconsin that slashed its natural gas consumption by 60 percent by burning black liquor—a byproduct of the pulping process. Lucas explains how black liquor gasification works, why paper mills have been doing this for decades, and why the new technology matters for industrial decarbonization. Luna asks about the economics: how a $200 million retrofit pencils out when natural gas prices are volatile. The hosts also discuss the broader lesson for other industries: that the cheapest energy is often the waste you're already producing. Specific numbers include the mill's energy mix shift, the capital cost per ton of carbon saved, and the surprising fact that black liquor already supplies about 2 percent of US industrial energy. #BlackLiquor #PaperIndustry #IndustrialDecarbonization #BiomassEnergy #WisconsinManufacturing #PulpAndPaper #RenewableEnergy #EnergyEfficiency #NaturalGasReduction #IndustrialByproduct #CarbonEmissions #CombinedHeatAndPower #Manufacturing #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Sustainability #FactoryInnovation Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
What this episode covers
Episode 28 of The Manufacturing Economy looks at a single paper mill in Wisconsin that slashed its natural gas consumption by 60 percent by burning black liquor—a byproduct of the pulping process. Lucas explains how black liquor gasification works, why paper mills have been doing this for decades, and why the new technology matters for industrial decarbonization. Luna asks about the economics: how a $200 million retrofit pencils out when natural gas prices are volatile. The hosts also discuss the broader lesson for other industries: that the cheapest energy is often the waste you're already producing. Specific numbers include the mill's energy mix shift, the capital cost per ton of carbon saved, and the surprising fact that black liquor already supplies about 2 percent of US industrial energy. #BlackLiquor #PaperIndustry #IndustrialDecarbonization #BiomassEnergy #WisconsinManufacturing #PulpAndPaper #RenewableEnergy #EnergyEfficiency #NaturalGasReduction #IndustrialByproduct #CarbonEmissions #CombinedHeatAndPower #Manufacturing #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Sustainability #FactoryInnovation Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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The US Paper Mill That Cut Natural Gas Use by 60 Percent
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