Stora Enso announces that it has decided to invest EUR 32 million in building a world-class biorefinery at Sunila Mill in Finland, which will reduce the CO2 emissions of the mill by replacing up to 90% of natural gas by lignin extracted from the black liquor.
In a press statement, Stora Enso said, "This will be the first step towards a new business selling lignin to external customers. It will enable global specialty chemical and high-tech material customers to replace fossil raw materials with renewable alternatives. Stora Enso is developing new applications in which lignin provides added value as a natural polymer."
Juan Bueno, EVP, Stora Enso Biomaterials Division, explained, "The investment in Sunila Mill will accelerate Stora Enso’s transformation into renewable materials company. The first applications will be in, for example, the building, construction and automotive sectors, where lignin offers sustainable alternatives for phenols in plywood glues and other wood-based panels, and polyols used in foams.
"Other applications are also under development, thus creating a solid platform for growth for sustainable alternatives to fossil-based products,” Bueno noted.
The investment includes a lignin extraction plant and dryer, lignin dust burners in the lime kilns, and a packing line.
Production is scheduled to start up during the first quarter of 2015.
