Periodic Reporting for period 3 - CHBTECH (Sulphur-free production method for non-food biopolymers (dissolving pulp, hemicellulose and lignin))
Reporting period: 2021-03-01 to 2021-11-30
In essence, there are three ways to produce raw materials to manufacture our everyday consumables such as clothes and food packaging: 1) refining oil, 2) cultivating plants such as cotton and sources of starch, and 3) pulping and related technologies using wood as feedstock. None of these provide an optimal and sustainable way to produce our necessary commodities. Oil industry have a major negative impact to climate change. Farming land is used to cultivate crops as feedstock for materials when it should be used to feed the growing population. Pulping industry focuses only in the recovery of cellulose pulp and burns over half of the biomass (hemicellulose and lignin). Agricultural residues such as straw are a waste material that current technologies cannot utilize in a cost-efficient way. Today, both consumer demand and tightening regulations forces industries to find more sustainable ways to produce our daily consumables, however proper offerings are rare.
CH-Bioforce has developed a completely new way of processing lignocellulosic biomass. The breakthrough innovation extracts all three components of biomass - cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin - in one process. These high-quality biopolymers can be used as raw materials in e.g. packaging, textiles and chemical industries instead of oil- and food-based alternatives. We offer manufacturing industries a completely new, bio-based feedstock options, as to date no one else has been able to produce sulphur-free lignin and polymeric hemicellulose in one process in industrial scale, even though several attempts have taken place. In addition, our process can utilize agricultural and industrial side streams as feedstock, e.g. straw. Hence, we are able to produce e.g. textile grade pulp from straw and other agricultural residues. All in all, our innovation offers several industries a sustainable and economically viable alternative to fossil- and food-based feedstock options.
Aim of CHBTECH-project was to develop CH-Bioforce´s technology from current TRL-7 to TRL-9, to prepare the business scale up, and to convince the first licensing customer to make the investment decision by the end of the project.
Conclusions: Our technology enables economically viable production of completely new, high-quality biopolymers – dissolving pulp, polymeric hemicellulose and sulphur-free lignin – for the growing market demand for bio-based materials. Our technology utilizes effectively almost any kind of lignocellulosic biomass as feedstock; wood, but also non-wood such as industrial and agricultural side streams. We provide a truly unique solution for circular economy.
CH-Bioforce has developed a completely new way of processing lignocellulosic biomass. The breakthrough innovation extracts all three components of biomass - cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin - in one process. These high-quality biopolymers can be used as raw materials in e.g. packaging, textiles and chemical industries instead of oil- and food-based alternatives. We offer manufacturing industries a completely new, bio-based feedstock options, as to date no one else has been able to produce sulphur-free lignin and polymeric hemicellulose in one process in industrial scale, even though several attempts have taken place. In addition, our process can utilize agricultural and industrial side streams as feedstock, e.g. straw. Hence, we are able to produce e.g. textile grade pulp from straw and other agricultural residues. All in all, our innovation offers several industries a sustainable and economically viable alternative to fossil- and food-based feedstock options.
Aim of CHBTECH-project was to develop CH-Bioforce´s technology from current TRL-7 to TRL-9, to prepare the business scale up, and to convince the first licensing customer to make the investment decision by the end of the project.
Conclusions: Our technology enables economically viable production of completely new, high-quality biopolymers – dissolving pulp, polymeric hemicellulose and sulphur-free lignin – for the growing market demand for bio-based materials. Our technology utilizes effectively almost any kind of lignocellulosic biomass as feedstock; wood, but also non-wood such as industrial and agricultural side streams. We provide a truly unique solution for circular economy.
During the project, we have updated, automated and standardized our pilot plant located in Raisio, Finland. This has improved our capability to produce high-quality biopolymers for partners´ evaluation, and raised Technology Readiness level to TRL-9.
Together with partners, we have conducted an intensive evaluation for our biomaterials (pulp, hemicellulose and lignin) and their feasibility for different end use cases. We have tested multiple feedstock options (wood, non-wood such as straw) and fractionation process parameters in order to provide the optimal material characteristics for each end use case.
We have also prepared several financial scenarios based on evaluation of the technology, used feedstock, produced biomaterials and market studies.
All in all, the main exploitable results of this project are 1) our technology is at TRL-9, 2) business case, Letter of Intents from potential customers and preliminary design for the first industrial scale plant, 3) new applications developed based on our biopolymers, 4) negotiations with potential technology licensing customers, and 5) IPR portfolio expanded to several new countries, one new patent filed.
Together with partners, we have conducted an intensive evaluation for our biomaterials (pulp, hemicellulose and lignin) and their feasibility for different end use cases. We have tested multiple feedstock options (wood, non-wood such as straw) and fractionation process parameters in order to provide the optimal material characteristics for each end use case.
We have also prepared several financial scenarios based on evaluation of the technology, used feedstock, produced biomaterials and market studies.
All in all, the main exploitable results of this project are 1) our technology is at TRL-9, 2) business case, Letter of Intents from potential customers and preliminary design for the first industrial scale plant, 3) new applications developed based on our biopolymers, 4) negotiations with potential technology licensing customers, and 5) IPR portfolio expanded to several new countries, one new patent filed.
CH-Bioforce Oy has developed a breakthrough biomass fractionation technology which can utilize current waste stream such as straw as feedstock while raising material efficiency from less than 50% to over 90%.
Our technology allows the extraction of lignocellulosic biomass constituents in an economically sound way, with extremely high purity, and in industrial scale. The technology produces high quality biopolymers: dissolving pulp, polymeric hemicellulose, and sulphur-free lignin. Each of these material streams has a wide range of possible end applications, especially in terms of replacing fossil-based materials and less environmentally friendly bio-based products such as food-based starch or cotton.
Another unique feature of our technology is that it can utilize almost any kind of biomass as feedstock, both wood and non-wood such as straw. Crop residues are still a largely unexploited feedstock in the bioeconomy. Today there are over 400 million tons of crop residues in Europe alone, of which wheat residue accounts for over 150 million tons. Most of this valuable feedstock is burnt for energy or simply left to rot. To illustrate the scale: total pulp production capacity in Europe, using wood as feedstock, was reported as being 42 million tons in 2017.
Our technology enables a shift from giant and global production plants to smaller production plants integrated to value chains of local communities. We can offer new revenue streams to farmers and jobs to people living in the rural areas. In some areas, straw is burnt, which causes smog and poor air quality. We offer more valuable use for straw and other agricultural side streams. On the other hand, we can also bring the small and environmentally friendly production plants closer to cities and other areas of dense population, which reduces the overall logistical carbon footprint. Cotton replacement frees also valuable farming land to food production.
CH-Bioforce therefore offers a sustainable and completely bio-based alternative to oil- and food-based feedstock, but also to cotton. Our technology enables the conversion of current waste streams to valuable biopolymers that can be used in higher value applications, for example in the chemical, paper and cardboard, and textile industries.
Our technology allows the extraction of lignocellulosic biomass constituents in an economically sound way, with extremely high purity, and in industrial scale. The technology produces high quality biopolymers: dissolving pulp, polymeric hemicellulose, and sulphur-free lignin. Each of these material streams has a wide range of possible end applications, especially in terms of replacing fossil-based materials and less environmentally friendly bio-based products such as food-based starch or cotton.
Another unique feature of our technology is that it can utilize almost any kind of biomass as feedstock, both wood and non-wood such as straw. Crop residues are still a largely unexploited feedstock in the bioeconomy. Today there are over 400 million tons of crop residues in Europe alone, of which wheat residue accounts for over 150 million tons. Most of this valuable feedstock is burnt for energy or simply left to rot. To illustrate the scale: total pulp production capacity in Europe, using wood as feedstock, was reported as being 42 million tons in 2017.
Our technology enables a shift from giant and global production plants to smaller production plants integrated to value chains of local communities. We can offer new revenue streams to farmers and jobs to people living in the rural areas. In some areas, straw is burnt, which causes smog and poor air quality. We offer more valuable use for straw and other agricultural side streams. On the other hand, we can also bring the small and environmentally friendly production plants closer to cities and other areas of dense population, which reduces the overall logistical carbon footprint. Cotton replacement frees also valuable farming land to food production.
CH-Bioforce therefore offers a sustainable and completely bio-based alternative to oil- and food-based feedstock, but also to cotton. Our technology enables the conversion of current waste streams to valuable biopolymers that can be used in higher value applications, for example in the chemical, paper and cardboard, and textile industries.