Two researchers critical of emissions analysis for planned pulp mill
Two researchers have criticized an analysis carried out by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) regarding the carbon footprint of a €1 billion pulp mill to be built by Est-For Invest in Tartu County as it does not give a negative enough result, daily Postimees writes.
Kaie Kriiska, a specialist of landscape ecology at the University of Tartu, said that the analysis has not taken into account possible emissions that could occur at the end of the life span of the paper produced and added that if these had been taken into account, the result of the carbon footprint analysis would have been reversed.
Forest ecologist Asko Noormets, another scientist who spoke with Postimees, said that the analysis has not considered the carbon footprint caused by the decomposition of branches left behind after logging and that the mill is accompanied by a pressure to increase logging, which in turn may increase emission.
Evelin Piirsalu, senior expert at SEI 's Tallinn Center of SEI, told the newspaper that regardless of the type of final products, the center is still of the opinion that the carbon footprint of the planned pulp mill is neutral in terms of climate change.
Est-For Invest is planning to set up a €1 billion pulp mill near Tartu which would process approximately 3.3 million tons of pulpwood a year and export its output. Building the mill would also create around 200 new jobs.
According to the initial forecast, the mill would start production in 2022. The planned average production capacity is up to 750,000 tons of bio products a year. The final product will be exported.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS
