Metsä Group has announced that the demo plant for its new Metsä LigO lignin product has started up in Äänekoski, Finland, said to have a nameplate capacity of two tonnes of a new type of lignin product per day.
Built in cooperation with equipment supplier Andritz, the plant uses lignin extracted from the bioproduct mill’s production process as its raw material. Metsä Group aims to ensure the functionality of the lignin product’s production process and its characteristics and suitability for the market. The next step for the company will be the design and possible construction of a production-scale plant.
Partner Dow has developed bio-based plasticisers for concrete and gypsum applications, using modified lignin from the demo plant as raw material.
Emilia Wasilewicz, global business director of Dow’s Construction Chemicals business, says:
“The new demo facility will help enable Dow Construction Chemicals to advance the development of bio-based additives and validate the technology in construction applications at a commercial scale.”
In related news, last year C-Source Renewables revealed it was converting wood waste extracts into renewable chemical inputs via the Arborlyse project, which is set to bolster supply chains and support net-zero ambitions. Its extraction process recovers lignin, cellulose, and hemi-cellulose from wood waste, using them to produce glucose syrups.
E-commerce packaging company Modepack unveiled its mailing bags created from lignin and post-consumer recycled plastics, said to cut CO2 emissions by up to 60–70% compared to conventional recycled plastic mailers. Designed to be moisture resistant and tear-proof, the bags are suitable for online retailers aiming to improve their environmental commitment while delivering ‘exceptional’ customer satisfaction.
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