Date: August 12, 2011

(Finalized September 22, 2011)

Subject: Trip Report for Site Visit– International Paper Company 

Risk and Technology review for pulp and paper production and combustion 

sources NESHAP

I. Purpose

The purpose of the site visit to International Paper Company, in Riegelwood, North 

Carolina was to obtain information about pulp and paper operations, equipment, and air 

pollution control devices. This information-gathering effort was part of regulatory 

development work for the Risk and Technology Review (RTR) for the National Emission 

Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the pulp and paper industry.

II. Place and Date

International Paper (Riegelwood)

865 John L Riegel Road, Riegelwood, NC 28456

(910) 362-3309

August 5, 2011

Mailing address:

PO Box 8, Riegelwood, NC 28456

III. Attendees

International Paper, Inc.

• Floyd Whitmire, Mill Manager

• Ed Kreul, Environmental Health and Safety Sustainability Manager

• Gary Morrow, Environmental Compliance Supervisor

• Jeff Shumaker, Regulatory Affairs Manager

• Marla Weinberg

• David Jordan

• Jason Hoffman

• Tim Corey

• Adam Miklos

• Brant Oberg

• Ed Senko

• John Pinkerton, NCASI

North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR)

• Russ Morgan, NCDENR 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• John Bradfield, Environmental Engineer, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards 

 (OAQPS)/Sector Polices and Programs Division (SPPD)/Natural Resources Group

 (NRG)

• Kelley Spence, Environmental Engineer, OAQPS/SPPD/NRG

• Nicholas Swanson, Environmental Engineer, OAQPS/SPPD/NRG

• Katie Hanks, EPA Contractor, Research Triangle Institute (RTI)

• Corey Gooden, EPA Contractor, Research Triangle Institute (RTI)

IV. Visit Summary

The site visit began with introductions and a meeting to discuss mill background, safety, 

and the agenda of the visit. Following the meeting, a tour of the facility was provided and 

the following areas were observed: woodyard, unbleached pulp mill, chemical recovery, 

wastewater treatment, bleach plant, powerhouse, paper machines, and the pulp dryer. The 

information obtained during the site visit and from the Information Collection Request 

(ICR) response is discussed below. The topics discussed are (A) general information, (B) 

pulp mill, (C) bleach plant, (D) paper mill, (E) chemical recovery and energy generation, 

and (F) wastewater treatment.

A. General Information

International Paper’s Riegelwood mill (NEI40247, RTI174) employs approximately 750

people and produces coated and uncoated bleached paperboard and fluff pulp. The pulp 

mill was built in 1951 by Riegel Paper Company, and the first paper machine (PM15) 

was installed in 1958. The second paper machine (PM18) was installed in 1967, just prior 

to being purchased in 1972 by Federal Paperboard. In 1996, the facility became part of 

International Paper. The “Carolina King” market pulp machine (PM20) was installed in 

1979 and updated in 2007 to allow for production of fluff pulp (rolls) or market pulp 

(bales). The mill has a paper and paperboard capacity of 356,900 tons per year and a total 

pulp capacity of 859,000 tons per year.

B. Pulp Mill

Wood arrives to Riegelwood in the form of softwood and hardwood logs and chips, with 

the supply mixture being approximately 50% and 50% for softwood and hardwood, 

respectively; these materials are obtained within approximately 100 miles from the mill. 

Woodyard operations include debarking, chipping, and screening, Figure 1. The mill 

utilizes the kraft process with both a continuous digester and 16 batch digesters, Figures 2 

and 3. Hardwood chips are processed using the continuous digester. The batch digesters 

process mostly pine, but have the capability to process hardwood as needed. The pulp 

capacity for the plant is 859,000 tons per year, with 510,000 tons per year available for 

market. Turpentine is collected as a by-product and approximately 456,000 gallons are 
sold per year. Tall oil soap is also collected and sold as a by-product, but it is not 

converted to raw tall oil. 

Chipping 

and 

Debarking

Storage Chip 

Screens

*HW and SW systems are separate

Chips

Logs To Pulp Mill

Figure 1: Woodyard process flow diagram

Digester

Chips

Blow Tank Knotters

Brown 

Stock 

Washer

O2 Delig Pressure 

Screens

Decker 

Washer

To Bleach 

Plant

Batch process

Figure 2: Batch digester process flow diagram
Steaming 

Vessel

Chips Impregnation 

Vessel Digester

Blow Tank Knotter

Brown 

Stock 

Washer

Pressure 

Screens

To Bleach 

Plant

Continuous process

Decker 

Washer

Figure 3: Continuous digester process flow diagram

C. Bleach Plant

The mill produces approximately 417,000 tons per year of bleached softwood kraft pulp 

and 442,000 tons per year of bleached hardwood kraft pulp using elemental chlorine free 

(ECF) bleaching. The hardwood bleach line utilizes a D Eop D D sequence (line #3), 

Figure 4. One softwood bleach line utilizes a D Eop D D sequence and a second 

softwood bleach line utilizes a D Eop D E D sequence, both with an oxygen 

delignification pretreatment (lines #1 and #2), Figures 4 and 5. The oxygen 

delignification pretreatment removes approximately 60% of the remaining lignin in the 

softwood pulp prior to bleaching.
Do Bleach 

Stage

Unbleached 

Pulp Washers

EOP 

Extraction 

Stage

EOP 

Washer

D1 Bleach 

Stage D1 Washer

D2 Bleach 

Stage D2 Washer

Bleach Pulp 

Storage

Figure 4: Bleach lines 1 and 3 process flow diagram

Do Bleach 

Stage

Unbleached 

Pulp Washers

EOP 

Extraction 

Stage

EOP 

Washer

D1 Bleach 

Stage D1 Washer

E 

Extraction 

Stage

E Washer

D2 Washer

Bleach Pulp 

Storage

D2 Bleach 

Stage

Figure 5: Bleach line 2 process flow diagram
D. Paper Mill

The total paper and paperboard capacity for the mill is approximately 356,900 tons per 

year, including approximately 53,500 tons per year of solid bleached boxboard, 107,000 

tons per year of food service/cup stock board, and 196,400 tons per year of other 

paperboard products. The mill has two paper machines and one pulp dryer. PM15 was 

installed in 1957 and rebuilt in 1992, and it produces folding carton, uncoated cup, and 

food service board. It has a machine width of 236 inches and a maximum speed of 1,200

feet per minute with two online coaters. PM18 was installed in 1967 and rebuilt in 1997, 

and it produces bristols (high end coated board) with one or two sided coating. It has a 

machine width of 236 inches and a maximum speed of 1,200 feet per minute with an 

online coater. The mill also has a rewinder. PM15 and PM18 produce approximately 

1,100 tons per day. The papermaking process is shown in Figure 6. PM20, the “Carolina 

King,” produces hardwood and softwood market pulp bales and fluff pulp rolls. This 

machine uses a Flakt dryer instead of dryer cylinders, which is a more efficient drying 

process for pulp drying. This process cannot be used to dry paper because of poor final 

product mechanical properties. The majority of the produced pulp is exported, and IP 

Riegelwood is the largest exporter from the Wilmington port.

Stock 

Tanks Screen Headbox

Forming 

Section

Press 

Section

Dryer 

Section

Pulp 

Coating 

Section

Dryer 

Section

Calender

Section

Reel Finishing Paper to consumer

Figure 6: Paper machine process flow diagram
E. Chemical Recovery and Energy Generation

The mill had 3 recovery boilers with capacities of 1.3, 2.4 and 7.39 million pounds per 

day black liquor solids that were installed in 1965, 1974, and 1982 respectively. One 

recovery boiler was recently shutdown, but the facility is able to generate 60-80% of its 

steam requirements from the two remaining boilers. Both boilers utilize three layers of 

air, with two interlacing secondary layers. The chemical recovery processes are shown in 

Figures 7 and 8. The steam capacity is approximately 1,210,000 pounds per hour. Nondirect contact evaporator systems and direct-contact evaporator systems are in use at the 

facility. The facility also utilizes 2 lime kilns. The mill generates its electricity using 3

power boilers (utilizing bark, oil, and natural gas for fuel) at 700,000 pounds per hour of 

steam and 3 steam turbines at 58 MW. The electrical demand for the mill is 

approximately 2,200 MWh/day, and approximately half is generated at the facility. The 

facility ceased coal burning in 2010 for economic reasons and, since 2006, has reduced 

facility-wide energy consumption by 9%, fuel oil by 67%, and fossil fuel usage by 43%.

The mill participates in energy benchmarking with other International Paper facilities, as 

well as other facilities in the industry. 

Cascade 

Evap Blox

Smelt 

Dissolving 

Tank

Green 

Liquor 

Clarifier

To Causticizing

Liquor 

From 

Digesters

Evaps

Recovery Smelt

Boiler

Figure 7: Recovery area process flow diagram

Lime Mud 

Washer

White liquor 

Clarifier

Pre-Coat 

Filter Lime Kiln

Green 

Liquor

Causticizers To White 

Liquor 

Storage

Slaker

Lime

Figure 8: Causticizing area process flow diagram
F. Wastewater Treatment 

Approximately 34 million gallons of effluent are sent to wastewater treatment per day. 

The mill utilizes aeration stabilization basins with an upstream steam stripper for effluent 

treatment, Figure 9. Since 2006, the facility has reduced its water consumption by 18% 

and the COD of the treated effluent by 30%.

Bar 

Screen

Primary 

Clarifier

No. 1 

ASB

Parshall

Flume

Polishing 

Pond

No. 2 

ASB

Cape Fear 

River

Effluent

Figure 9: Wastewater treatment process flow diagram