Optimizing Carbon Waste Management Systems in (Indonesia’s Pulp Industry)

Optimizing Carbon Waste Management Systems in (Indonesia’s Pulp Industry): Toward a More Sustainable Industrial Future Carissa Tri Alma1*, Herdi Agusta2, Muhammad Irsyad Hanif3, Deviano Hafiy Dwi Sandika4, Syafian Faiqa Bilburaira5 1

Electrical Engineering, 2Mechanical Engineering, 3Mechanical Engineering, 4Mechanical Engineering, 5Mechanical Engineering — Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia

Abstract Indonesia wants to reach Net-Zero Emissions (NZE) by 2060, but that's going to be very hard because its manufacturing sector is the biggest source of carbon emissions and the main driver of economic growth. This article gives a full and unified plan for cutting down on emissions in the industrial sector. The pulp and paper subsector, which has a lot of emissions, is used as an example. The proposed method employs the solvent Methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) in conjunction with Post-Combustion Capture (PCC) technology. This is better than Monoethanolamine (MEA) because it is more stable and uses less energy. Heat integration can cut down on exergy loss by as much as 40%. Oxyfuel combustion, on the other hand, is more thermodynamically efficient at all capture rates. This study examines the application of a circular economy model to convert captured CO₂ from a waste stream into a viable resource. For instance, it shows how to make Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) right away. The Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) method has resulted in fewer direct emissions, stronger supply chains, and more money. The paper ends with a critical look at Indonesia's regulatory system. It supports a number of policies that work together, like group work and performance-based rewards, to speed up the use of different technologies that work well together. Keywords: Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU), Post-Combustion Capture (PCC), MDEA Solvent, Circular Economy, Smart Manufacturing, Industrial Decarbonization, Pulp and Paper Industry, Thermodynamic Analysis 1.​ INTRODUCTION 1.1. The Global Context and Indonesia's National Commitment

The goal of the Paris Agreement is to slow down climate change by keeping the average global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius above what it was before the Industrial Revolution. The goal is to limit the rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Indonesia has made a clear national promise to cut down on carbon emissions in line with this global goal. The government wants to reach Net-Zero Emissions (NZE) by 2060, or maybe even sooner. At the 2022 Net Zero Summit, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment made this promise.

1.2. The Manufacturing Sector: Engine of Growth, Source of Emissions

Since the passing of Law No. 1 of 1967 on Foreign Investment, Indonesia has gone from being based on agriculture to being based on industry and services. Its contribution to GDP rose from 18.34% in 2022 to 18.98% in 2024, and it currently accounts for approximately 74.3% of the country's total exports. Furthermore, the sector provides employment for 19.96 million workers and attracted investments totaling IDR 721.3 trillion, representing 42.1% of total national investment. ​ But this great economic performance has big effects on the environment as well. The manufacturing sector is Indonesia's biggest source of carbon emissions. In 2024, it will

be responsible for 34% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the country. 1.3. Quantifying Challenge

the

Industrial

Emissions

In 2022, the industrial sector released more than 400 million tonnes of CO₂​, which was a big jump from the previous decade. In 2021, the sector released about 219 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent, which is about 22% of the country's total emissions. Within the manufacturing sector, emissions are focused on a few important subsectors. Pulp and paper (15.6%), cement (11.4%), textiles (4.9%), food and drinks (4.8%), and steel (4.7%) are the most important contributors. The pulp and paper industry is one of the biggest polluters, so it is a good example of how to create and use advanced carbon management solutions. 1.4. Thesis and Paper Structure This paper contends that an optimised carbon waste management system for Indonesia's industrial sector necessitates the integration of three critical components: ●​ the implementation of advanced, energy-efficient carbon capture technology adapted to existing industrial infrastructure; ●​ the adoption of circular economy principles to convert captured carbon from a liability into a valuable economic asset; ●​ the utilisation of smart manufacturing systems for intelligent process control and optimisation. 2.​ THEORY AND DEFINITIONS 2.1. Fundamentals of Carbon Technologies

Capture

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a group of technologies that stop CO₂ emissions from

large point sources, like factories, from getting into the air. The literature identifies three principal methodologies: ●​ Pre-combustion Capture: This method turns a main fuel, like coal or natural gas, into a synthesis gas (syngas), which is mostly hydrogen (H2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO). After that, the CO is mixed with water in a shift reactor to make more H2​ and CO₂​. Before the hydrogen-rich fuel is burned, the CO₂ is taken out of this high-pressure gas stream. ●​ Oxy-fuel Combustion: In this process, the fuel burns in an environment that is almost pure oxygen instead of regular air. This gets rid of atmospheric nitrogen from the combustion process, so the flue gas is mostly made up of CO₂ and water vapour. The water vapour can be easily turned into liquid, leaving a very concentrated stream of CO₂​ that is ready to be compressed and stored. ●​ Post-combustion Capture (PCC): an "end-of-pipe" solution that captures CO₂ from the flue gas after the burning process is done. The flue gas goes through a chemical solvent that only takes in the CO₂. The best thing about PCC is that it can be added to industrial buildings that are already built without changing the main parts of the combustion system. 2.2. Solvent Chemistry for Post-Combustion Capture: A Comparative Analysis

Monoethanolamine (MEA) and Methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) are the two most well-known amine-based solvents.

●​ Monoethanolamine (MEA): MEA has long been thought to be the best solvent for CO₂ capture because it reacts quickly and absorbs quickly. It has a high heat of reaction with CO₂​, which means that regenerating the solvent costs a lot of energy, usually between 3.5 and 4.0 GJ per tonne of CO₂​ captured. oxygen (O2), sulphur dioxide (SO2 ), and nitrogen oxides (NOx ). ●​ Methyldiethanolamine (MDEA): MDEA is a tertiary amine that is better for large-scale industrial use from both a technical and economic point of view. It has a lower heat of reaction with CO₂​, which means that it only needs 2.1–2.3 GJ of energy to regenerate per tonne of CO₂​. Table 1 shows the differences between these two solvents, which shows that MDEA is a good choice for a system that values energy efficiency and long-term operational resilience. Table 1: Comparative Properties of MEA and MDEA Solvents Parameter

MEA

MDEA

Regeneration energy 3.5-4.0 (GJ/ton CO₂​)

2.1-2.3

Oxidative degradation resistance

Low

High

Corrosiveness

High

Low

CO₂​loading capacity (mol CO₂​/mol solvent) 0.5-0.6

0.8-1.0

Typical CO₂​capture efficiency

88-90%

85-90%

2.3. The Circular Carbon Economy: From Waste to Value

Carbonation is the process of reacting captured CO₂​ with calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂​) to make high-purity CaCO3​. PCC is an important raw material for making paper. It is used as both a filler and a coating agent to make paper brighter, more opaque, and easier to print on. A pulp and paper mill can then use its own CO₂ emissions as an important part of its main production process. 2.4. The Smart Manufacturing Paradigm for Process Optimization

Smart Manufacturing is the use of new digital tools to make factories work better. The major technologies that make this happen are: ●​ Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) A network of sensors that are scattered out over the PCC unit and can talk to each other. ●​ 5G Communication A fast low-latency wireless network that connects everything. You need to provide all the data that IIoT sensors collect. ●​ AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning) Types of algorithms that look at data in real time to uncover patterns that are hard to detect, estimate what a system will do in the future, and figure out the best way to control it. Digital Twin: A digital copy of the real PCC process to do testing and risk-reduction environments for novel control tactics, as well as a way to see the whole system for integrated optimisation.

Figure 1: Conceptual Diagram of a Digital Twin Ecosystem

3.​ SYSTEM DESCRIPTION: EQUIPMENT AND PROCESSES 3.1. The MDEA-Based Post-Combustion Capture Unit

A pulp and paper factory that uses MDEA-based PCC has a thermochemical cycle that is always running and is closed-loop. There are two main parts to the system: an absorber and a stripper (or desorber). ●​ Absorption Stage: The flue gas from the mill's emission sources, like the recovery boiler and the lime kiln, is cooled and sent to the bottom of a vertical absorption column. The column is filled with structured packing or trays that give the gas more surface area as it flows up. A cold, watery solution of lean MDEA (low in CO₂) is added from the top at the same time and flows down in the opposite direction. When the flue gas comes into contact with the solvent, a chemical reaction takes place that absorbs the CO₂ and makes a weakly bound complex with the MDEA. The "rich solvent" at the

bottom of the column collects gas that has a lot of CO₂ in it. The treated flue gas, which has lost most of its CO₂, leaves from the top. ●​ Regeneration Stage: The rich solvent is pumped out of the absorber and first goes through a heat exchanger that separates the lean and rich parts. The stripper heats up the hot, regenerated lean solvent that comes out of it in this step. The heated rich solvent then goes into the top of the stripper column. There is a reboiler at the bottom of the stripper that heats it up. Figure 2: Process Flow Diagram of an MDEA-Based Post-Combustion Capture System

3.2. The End-to-End Carbon Management

Value Chain Once captured, the CO₂​ must be managed through a multi-stage value chain

encompassing conditioning, transportation, and final disposition (storage or utilization). ●​ Conditioning & Compression: ​ To prepare it for transport and storage, it must undergo conditioning. This typically involves dehydration to remove water vapor and prevent the formation of corrosive carbonic acid. Transportation: The choice of transportation mode is highly dependent on volume, distance, and Indonesia's unique archipelagic geography: 1.​ Pipelines are the most economical option for transporting large, continuous volumes of CO₂​ over long distances on the same island. 2.​ Tanker trucks offer flexibility for smaller volumes or shorter, last-mile routes but have higher operating costs per ton-kilometer. 3.​ Rail freight can be cost-effective for large volumes on long inland routes where infrastructure exists, such as on Java or Sumatra, but access is often limited. 4.​ Sea freight (ships and barges) is the most cost-effective mode for moving large volumes between Indonesia's islands. ​ ●​ Injection & Storage: For permanent sequestration, the conditioned CO₂​

is injected deep underground into suitable geological formations. Once injected, the CO₂​is trapped by four primary mechanisms: 1.​ Structural Trapping: The buoyant CO₂​ migrates upwards until it is trapped beneath an impermeable caprock layer. 2.​ Residual Trapping: Small droplets of CO₂​ are immobilized in the pore spaces of the rock by capillary forces. 3.​ Dissolution Trapping: CO₂​ slowly dissolves into the native brine within the formation. 4.​ Mineral Trapping: Over long timescales, the dissolved CO₂​ reacts with minerals in the host rock to form stable solid carbonate minerals, providing the most permanent form of storage.

Figure 3: Distribution of Potential Depleted Oil and Gas Reservoirs for CO₂​ Storage in Indonesia

●​ Monitoring, Reporting & Verification (MRV): To ensure the long-term safety and permanence of geological storage, a rigorous MRV

program is essential. This involves a multi-layered approach combining deep subsurface monitoring (e.g., time-lapse 4D seismic surveys, downhole pressure and temperature sensors) to track the underground CO₂​ plume, with near-surface monitoring (e.g., soil-gas sampling, atmospheric sensors) to detect any potential leaks. Architecture for an Integrated System (SWMS) 3.3.

Intelligent,

The PCC unit and its associated value chain are transformed into a highly efficient, adaptive system through integration with a Smart Waste Manufacturing System (SWMS). The architecture consists of: ●​ A Data Acquisition Layer: A dense network of IIoT sensors is deployed across the entire process to continuously monitor key parameters in real-time. ●​ A Communication Layer: A private 5G network provides the ultra-reliable, low-latency communication required to transmit this data to the control system. ●​ An Intelligence Layer: The data is fed into an advanced analytics platform where AI and ML algorithms, such as those used in Model Predictive Control (MPC), analyze the information.

Thermodynamic Energy Optimization 4.1.

Performance

and

We used process simulations in ASPEN Plus to do a full thermodynamic analysis of the carbon capture system to see how well it worked in different setups. The study focused on two main factors: choosing the right combustion technology and how to integrate heat. We used a 30% aqueous MEA solution as a baseline to model the system and see how much better it worked. We also used exergy analysis to find and measure thermodynamic irreversibilities. 4.1.1. Process Configuration for Analysis Two process setups were used to test how well the system worked thermodynamically. Case 1 is a baseline that doesn't include heat integration, and Case 2 uses heat integration to see how much more efficient it is. Case 1: Non-Integrated Configuration This setup represents a baseline process relying entirely on external utilities. The CO₂-rich solvent from the absorber is heated to the required stripping temperature using an external heater. After regeneration in the stripper, the hot, lean solvent is cooled by a separate external cooler before being recycled back to the absorber. This configuration is thermodynamically inefficient and establishes a benchmark for maximum energy consumption. Case 2: Heat-Integrated Configuration

This digital integration creates a fully automated, traceable, and self-optimizing carbon capture system.

4.​ RESULT AND DISCUSSION

This configuration introduces a key optimization to improve thermal efficiency. A lean/rich heat exchanger is added to the process. In this unit, the hot, regenerated lean solvent leaving the stripper is used to preheat the cold, rich solvent coming from

the absorber. This internal heat recovery significantly reduces the energy demand on both the external reboiler (for stripping) and the final cooler. 4.1.2. The Integration

Critical

Impact

of

Figure 4: Reboiler Duty Variation with CO₂​ Removal Efficiency

Heat

In a setup that isn't integrated (Case 1), separate coolers and heaters take care of the hot lean solvent from the stripper and the cold rich solvent from the absorber. A lean/rich heat exchanger in the integrated setup (Case 2) lets the hot lean solvent heat up the rich solvent that is coming in. 4.1.3. Combustion Technology and the "90% Wall" The flue gas in the oxyfuel-combustion case has a lot more CO₂​(78 mol% vs. 4 mol% for air-combustion). The high partial pressure of CO₂​makes the mass transfer in the absorber much stronger, which makes the capture process more efficient by nature. Because of this, the reboiler duty stays low and fairly stable across a range of capture efficiencies. It only goes up slightly from 3.276 MJ/kg CO₂​ at 85% capture to 3.396 MJ/kg CO₂​ at 95% capture. The air-combustion system, on the other hand, has a "90% wall," which is a performance cliff that isn't straight. The reboiler duty goes up a little as the capture efficiency goes up from 85% to 90%. But to get the capture rate from 90% to 95%, the reboiler duty more than doubles, going from about 5.2 MJ/kg CO₂​ to 11.337 MJ/kg CO₂​. This rapid growth happens because it takes a lot of energy to regenerate the solvent when you try to capture the last few percent of CO₂ from a dilute gas stream.

As a result, the thermodynamic efficiency of the air-combustion process drops from about 0.45 at 90% capture to less than 0.2 at 95% capture, even in a system that is connected. Table 2 shows a summary of how the two systems compare. Figure 5: Thermodynamic Efficiency Variation with CO₂​Removal Efficiency

Table 2: Summary of Thermodynamic Performance under Key Scenarios (Total Site Condition, 90% Capture)

Scenario

Reboiler Thermody Total Exergy Duty namic Destruction (MJ/kgC Efficiency (MW) O₂​) (η)

Air-combustion (Non-Integrate d)

5.23

74.887 ~0.25

Air-combustion (Integrated)

5.23

46.671 ~0.45

Oxyfuel-combu stion (Non-Integrate d)

3.37

62.3 ~0.33

Oxyfuel-combu stion (Integrated)

3.37

40.732 ~0.60

4.1.4. Component-Level Exergy Destruction The analysis at the component level shows where the main sources of thermodynamic inefficiency are. In the non-integrated system, the heating section (heaters and coolers) is the part that wastes the most energy. This loss is greatly reduced with heat integration, and the stripper becomes the main source of inefficiency, followed by the absorber. A Circular Economy in Practice: The Domtar-Omya PCC Case Study A well-known example of a cooperation is the one between Omya and Domtar, a firm that creates pulp and paper, to develop an on-site Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) plant at Domtar's Nekoosa mill. 4.2.

●​ Process: The equipment gathers CO₂​ from the pulp mill's process exhaust (lime kiln and recovery boiler), which would otherwise go into the air. Then, in a carbonation process, this CO₂ is mixed with a calcium hydroxide solution to generate high-quality PCC. The PCC is then utilized in the same mill to fill and coat paper, which retains the carbon that was captured in the final product.

●​ Benefits that can be measured: This effort made a substantial, demonstrable difference in the environment and how things worked. The initiative cut the mill's direct (Scope 1) emissions by around 2%, or 13,608 metric tons of CO₂​-equivalent per year. Also, the project didn't need to purchase PCC from outside sources because it created the filler on-site. This saved more than 1.18 million truck miles a year and lowered Scope 3 emissions and logistics expenses. ●​ New Business Model:T​ his model improves things in several ways: ○​ Less Expensive: Making PCC on-site means you don't need as many fillers from other areas, which saves you money on shipping. ○​ Supply Chain Resilience: It protects the mill against issues in the supply chain and variations in the cost of critical raw materials. ○​ Better Value for Money: Using high-quality PCC can make the finished paper product brighter, less see-through, and easier to print. 4.3. Economic Viability and Monetization

Pathways Indonesia's corporate landscape can improve through global revenue streams and incentive frameworks. ●​ Government inducements: The government frequently generates substantial revenue by providing direct financial assistance to individuals. The 45Q tax credit in the United States provides $60 per ton for CO₂ utilized in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and $85 per ton for

CO₂ permanently sequestered in geological formations. ●​ Carbon Markets: You may sell credits for carbon that you have sequestered and stored on compliance markets (Emissions Trading Schemes) or voluntary carbon markets (VCM). ●​ Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR): Increased oil extraction from mature oil fields can be achieved by injecting CO₂ into them. You can immediately sell the oil and generate profit. Elevated oil prices may significantly affect the project's budget.

facilities, overcoming the prohibitive energy penalty of conventional systems above 90% capture will require a strategic shift to more advanced technologies. Additionally, by converting captured CO2 into useful products, circular economy models offer a tried-and-true path to both financial and environmental benefits.

4.4. Bridging the Policy Gap for a Smart,

[1] Ahn, H., Luberti, M., & Manfrida, G. (2013).

Decarbonized Industry Indonesia has made some modest changes to its businesses to make them more contemporary and cut down on carbon emissions. But they still have a big problem with getting along. To fill this gap, following policy tools are suggested:

Process modeling of CO₂ capture using aqueous

●​ Performance-Based Incentives: Instead of just giving people money, set up reward systems that are directly linked to environmental outcomes. Depending on how much CO₂ has been absorbed and stored, this could mean lower taxes or other benefits. ●​ Progressive Standards and Digital MRV: Make the rules about how much pollution big businesses send out clearer and tougher. ●​ Multistakeholder Collaboration: Setting up these systems that all operate together is hard, therefore there needs to be a strong climate for creativity that motivates people to work together.

J., Boston, A., Brown, S., ... & Mac Dowell, N.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to all those who have contributed to the completion of this paper. REFERENCES

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