Sustainable production of new biomass-based products, the Finnish approach
In Finland, the forest industry is expected to be one of the most viable platforms for future biorefining applications. Finnish biomass sources are sustainable, non-food feedstocks such as wood and forestry residues.Cost competiveness and sustainability will be key issues in future markets for biomass-based products. Both these issues make pulp and paper mills appropriate platforms for large biorefineries and for integrated production of biomass-based products.
“In the development of new biochemicals, biomaterials and biofuels it is very important to focus on sustainable biomass feedstocks that offer clear advantages in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and that have little or no competition with food production. Our biomass sources are non-food feedstocks such as wood, forestry and agricultural residues, wastes and various side-streams,” notes Jukka Leppälahti, BioRefine Programme Manager at Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation.
The BioRefine Programme was launched by Tekes in 2007 to develop business related to novel value-added products and processes, or business concepts that utilize biomass in variety of forms. The programme is due to run until the end of 2012.
Forest, energy and chemical industries develop together
Identifying new value chains in biorefining is essential and cooperation between companies from different industrial clusters is needed for successful innovations.
“In the BioRefine Programme, companies in the Finnish forest, energy and chemical industries have pooled their knowledge to find ways to meet future energy and climate targets, and product portfolio renewal,” explains Tuula Mäkinen, BioRefine Programme Coordinator, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
One of the goals of their cooperation is to solve how production of new energy and chemical products can be integrated into traditional forest industry production plants.
Additional information
www.tekes.fi/eng/biorefine
Jukka Leppälahti
Programme Manager
Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation
Tel. +358 1060 55879
jukka.leppalahti(at)tekes.fi
Tuula Mäkinen
Programme Coordinator
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
Tel. +358 20 722 6597
tuula.makinen(at)vtt.fi
Soile Thalén 01.06.2010