Metsä Group and ANDRITZ plan a lignin product demonstration plant at Äänekoski

Metsä Group Press release 29 May 2023

Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, is planning to build a demonstration plant for a modified lignin product in cooperation with ANDRITZ . The aim is to develop the process to separate lignin from black liquor in pulp production and to further process it for new end-uses.

The demonstration plant would have a capacity of about two tonnes per day and would be located within Metsä Group's Äänekoski bioproduct mill. An investment decision on the plant is expected to be made during the course of this year. 

In pulp production, lignin that acts as a binder for wood fibres, is removed from fibres. It has traditionally been used for bioenergy production, but it also has a number of other potential uses.  The technical assessment and development of the product for end-use applications is being driven by leading material science company, Dow. The high-performance bio-dispersant products produced in the demonstration plant could be used, for example, as bio-based concrete and gypsum water reducer used in construction markets.

"It is important that we actively develop alternatives made from renewable raw materials to replace fossil materials and feedstocks. This will further strengthen our bioproduct mill concept, which aims to utilise all pulp production side streams into products with the highest possible added value," says Ismo Nousiainen, CEO of Metsä Fibre.

The potential of lignin in various applications has been studied for a long time. The production of modified lignin and its suitability for replacing fossil-based chemicals in concrete production, for example, has been demonstrated on a pilot scale in a four-year EU project. The next step will be to assess the techno-economic viability of the technology and the product in a continuous demonstration scale integrated in a bioproduct mill.

“The development of LigniOx technology is an excellent practical example of our CircleToZero initiative, which includes new technologies aimed at minimizing and optimizing pulp mill side streams. The development of LigniOx technology has been done in close cooperation with the entire value chain, and with the support of leading research institutes. The production of a high-grade lignin product from the side stream of the pulping process creates added value and effectiveness both from an environmental and financial point of view, says Kari Tuominen, President & CEO, ANDRITZ Oy.

For further information, please contact:

Katariina Saelan, SVP, Communications, tel. +358 40 829 9455
Ismo Nousiainen, CEO, Metsä Fibre, tel. +358 10 465 5005

Metsä Group
www.metsagroup.com

Metsä Group is leading the way in advancing the bioeconomy. We invest in growth, bioproduct development and a fossil free future. The raw material for our products is renewable wood from sustainably managed northern forests. We focus on the growth sectors of the forest industry: wood supply and forest services, wood products, pulp, fresh fibre paperboards, as well as tissue and greaseproof papers.

Metsä Group’s annual sales amount to approximately EUR 7 billion, and we have around 9,500 employees in around 30 countries. Our international Group has its roots in the Finnish forests: our parent company is Metsäliitto Cooperative which is owned by over 90,000 forest owners. 

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