Ecohelix and Domsjö Fabriker AB sign long term partnership agreement to scale up sustainable biopolymer production
Ecohelix, a leading innovator in biotechnology and sustainable materials and Domsjö Fabriker, a renowed Swedish biorefinery, today announced a significant milestone in their collaboration: the signing of a termsheet to initiate the commercial phase of WOODMER® production.
This agreement marks a culmination of several years of successful partnership between the two companies. With a pioneer mindset, Domsjö has trusted the Ecohelix team with the
development of the concept for sustainable biopolymer production from pulping side streams and provided the facilities and support to establish this novel and groundbreaking technology.
As the technology is now mature enough for commercial production, the agreement sets the commercial cooperation terms between Domsjö and Ecohelix and ensures the exclusive raw material supply for sustainable biopolymer production at the Domsjö mill. The agreement length is 20 years which ensures long term commitment from both parties. In the first stage Ecohelix is planning to establish commercial demo production with yearly capacity of 500 t/a. Full scale of about 10 000 t/a is envisioned for 2028.
Making even more from the tree
Ecohelix’s groundbreaking technology transforms lignocellulosic side streams from the pulp industry into valuable biopolymers. This innovative approach not only reduces waste but also creates new opportunities to “make even more from the tree” well matching Domsjö Fabriker’s vision. Several industries gain thus access to WOODMERs that have already industrially verified potential within paper chemicals, heat-seal coatings and dispersants to name a few. Market demand for this type of polymers has continued their fast growth due to regulatory and consumer pressure.
"This collaboration showcases the power of industry symbiosis, where startups and established companies work together to drive innovation," Petri Oinonen, CEO and Founder of Ecohelix added. “By leveraging our expertise in biotechnology and engineering and the resources of our partners, we were able to create a truly sustainable and high-performing product. Trust from biorefineries like Domsjö and from our chemical industry partners is crucial and enables this kind of exciting path from lab to market".
Björn Vedin, CEO of Domsjö Fabriker, says, "We are excited to further strengthen our partnership with Ecohelix. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our commitment to sustainability and creating value from renewable resources. By utilizing side streams from our process, we can increase the effectivity of our process as well as contribute to a more circular economy."
Petri Oinonen Björn Vedin
CEO CEO
Ecohelix AB Domsjö Fabriker AB
petri@ecohelix.se bjorn.vedin@domsjo.adityabirla.com
+46 (0)70 563 28 92 +46 (0)70-363 44 88
About Ecohelix
Ecohelix is a Swedish greentech company dedicated to developing innovative, sustainable biopolymer solutions. The company’s proprietary technology enables the production of high-performance, sustainable materials from renewable resources by using biotechnology and smart engineering solutions. Ecohelix has received funding from the Bio Based Industries (BBI) Joint Undertaking (JU) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 837866.
About Domsjö Fabriker
Domsjö Fabriker, part of the Aditya Birla Group, is a leading biorefinery from Sweden. The company's products cellulose, lignin and bioethanol are bio-based raw materials that are used in the manufacture of various types of end products such as clothing, medicine, packaging and much more. All products originate from sustainable forestry. Production takes place with great environmental consideration in the world's first completely closed and chlorine-free bleaching plant.
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