We have acquired yet another new colleague!

We are happy to present another one of our newest members of the Heat Management family. Vinicius Lobosco has valuable knowledge and experience within the pulp and paper industry that we consider ourselves lucky to have acquired. Read our Q&A with him below!

Welcome Vinicius Lobosco!

Q: What is your previous experience in the industry and what are you most passionate about?

Answer:

It surprises even me to reflect on my journey, having dedicated my entire corporate life to the industry. From earning a PhD at STFI to ventures in start-ups like PaperPlat AB and Cortus, I’ve traversed diverse landscapes, working with giants like Klabin and Suzano and smaller ones like Heat Management right now. My roles have spanned consultancy, internal operations, and everything in between, covering a wide spectrum from pulp, paper, and board to lignin extraction. I’ve navigated both virgin fibers and recycled materials. What ties these experiences together is my passion for innovation. I thrive on the cutting edge of possibility, driven by the challenge of turning novel ideas into tangible realities, especially when they require significant technical breakthroughs. I find fulfillment in environments where I’m compelled to delve deeply into study and forge connections between seemingly disparate elements.

Q: You’ve previously worked with companies like Suzano and Klabin. Is there anything that you’ve learned there, that has stuck with you?

Answer:

Oh certainly. The large companies are where the facilities really are. So, when you are in one of those companies, you are close to how the process works, develops, and how decisions are made. Even if they are big, they have lean organizations and need support from specialized companies such as Heat Management, especially when we bring new technologies to solve their problem. It means a lot to have external export in situations when you must make decisions about topics you only control partially.

Q: You have previously researched fiber and polymer technology. What were your conclusions from your PHD; “On the Modelling of Mechanical Dewatering in Papermaking”?

Answer:

In this field, surprisingly, knowledge remains unconsolidated. While many central aspects have been thoroughly studied, predicting crucial factors based on (fiber properties) such as fiber dewatering rates and optimal paper machine sizing still eludes us. Additionally, understanding how equipment choices impact final product properties remains a challenge. Much of this process still relies heavily on experiential learning and pilot trials. My aspiration has always been to piece together this puzzle and make this knowledge more accessible and actionable for industry practitioners.

Q: The process of extracting lignin from Black Liquor is a trending topic within the pulp and paper industry. What do you think of the practice?

Answer:

It certainly represents one of the most significant projects in my career, where I had a central role from laboratory to the design of the industrial plant, developing many new technologies. I find it to be an interesting process with potential benefits for evaporation (due to the lower viscosity of the black liquor) and de-bottlenecking the recovery boiler. However, I remain skeptical about its widespread adoption. The extraction process is complex and expensive, and it also has sustainability issues if large amounts of ashes must be sent to landfills. Additionally, the market for it is tiny.

We’ve previously written an article on the topic of lignin extraction, “Why Lignin Extraction Usually Comes with a Catch”, read all about it here

Q: What made you want to work for Heat Management?

Answer:

I found that Heat Management had very interesting solutions, and at the same time eager to develop new technologies to add to it. I believe that I found here the challenges that are interesting and with large potential. I also liked the team a lot. So far, I feel very welcome here.

Q: What do you think are the biggest challenges for the pulp and paper industry today?

Answer:

It is probably one of the most promising periods for this industry in its history apart from the beginning. The biggest challenge is to figure out the best ways to take advantage of the possibilities. There are certainly large possibilities for substituting plastic and other materials in packaging. However, I think that the market for bio and e-fuels is more promising. At the same time, I think that the industry should do its homework and become the best in class, in removing fossil fuels from its process, lowering scope 3 emissions, improving recycling, using less water, etc.

Q: How do you think Heat Management’s solutions fit into the current state of the market?

Answer:

I believe that eventually, every recovery boiler will have [HISS™] implemented. It brings concrete benefits that are easy to justify, and it has a clear green footprint.

Q: A lot of mills need to analyze their black liquor to spot deviances in their process. Given your prior work experience; What are your thoughts about Heat Management’s latest tech acquisition, “Acospector”?

Answer:

I found it an interesting technology with large potential. We do not know yet what it can predict, but I think that determining reduction and caustification efficiency, dryness, density, amount of lignin, heating value, and organic composition can be of great value to control not only the recovery boiler, but also could bring valuable information for the digestor, evaporation, and caustification.