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Nordic Environmental technology Clean, Cleaver
and Competitive Project No H06246 Lignin as
raw material for chemicals Project Manager
Katarina Gårdfeldt, Centre for Environment and
Sustainability, GMV, Chalmers and Göteborg
University
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Background

• The project
• Lignin as raw material for chemicals
• was initiated by ScanBalt Campus
• which is a model for a trans-national and
  trans-sectorial institution, based on education,
  research and development.

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Background
The Strategic challenges of ScanBalt Campus
are Pioneering in putting the Bologna process
into practise Reduce compartmentalization
Cluster for excellence Improve collaboration
with industry and academia Attract resources
for research and education Improve balance
between demand and supply of education
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Background ScanBalt Campus Knowledge Centers
Initiated during 2005-06
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ScanBalt Campus Knowledge Network -
Environmental Biotechnology

• The scientific basis
• The intersection between Chalmers Environmental
  Initiative (CEI) and Chalmers Bioscience
  Initiative (CBI) (both initiatives involves
  Göteborg University) and ScanBalt partners

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Partners SB Campus KN Environmental biotechnology
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Lignin as raw material for chemicals

• The overall aim
• Utilize products from forestry and agriculture
  for chemical production with initial focus on
  lignin as raw material.

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Lignin as raw material for chemicals

• Why?
• The aromatic and/or phenolic precursors for many
  chemicals are generally based on mineral oils.
• Due to our need to limit greenhouse and climate
  change effects we will have to find several
  renewable alternatives to oil consumption.
• The last years the price of the oil has reached
  very high levels.
• A substantial amount of the fossil oil that is
  today used for production of certain chemicals
  can be competitively replaced by alternative
  processes based on lignin as raw material

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Lignin as raw material for chemicals

• Lignin is the second most abundant biopolymer on
  earth
• The aim of our activities in this project is to
  by-pass mother-natures slow process of forming
  oil

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Lignin as raw material for chemicals

• A large potential in the future is to use lignin
  as raw material for production of new chemicals
  and other products for the society, e.g
• syngas which can be used for production of
  heat and electricity, biosorbents,
  soil amendments, bioregulators,
  antioxidants, conservation agents,
  interface additives for composites etc.
  biofuels e.g.Methanol, DME (di methyl ether)
  precursor for phenol (and/or aromatic) -based
  chemicals

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Project platform

• Research institutes and companies together host
  the knowledge on classical lignin chemistry,
  biotechnology and industrial production
• Merge to find appropriate methods for industrial
  production of lignin based chemicals having high
  commercial value.
• Novel lignin extraction process crucial for a
  large scale production of raw lignin

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The project has three important advantages for
the society

• Making better use of the raw materials produced
• Providing materials from renewable sources
• Substitute for chemicals produced from fossils

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Lignin as raw material for chemicals

• Why here?
• Forestry and its products is a main contributor
  to Nordic net export income e.g. in Sweden, the
  contribution from forestry can be estimated to
  about 62 .
• The Nordic countries have advanced agricultural
  and forestry business sectors.
• The Nordic countries, especially Denmark have a
  globally leading position within industrial
  biotechnology.
• A combination of the strengths have a significant
  potential for value generation for the industries
  as well as for the Nordic societies.
• A crucial barrier to further development and
  future commercialisation of lignin-based products
  is the sharing of knowledge and experiences.

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Lignin as raw material for chemicals

• HOW?
• The new Nordic Baltic consortia, from all levels
  of the innovation chain (i.e. researchers and
  developers, industry and authorities), will cover
  the competence to achieve new insights on how to
  use lignin as a resource for chemicals and new
  products.
• The general outcome of this project will be a
  roadmap which will guide major actors towards the
  launching of lignin based products on the
  international market.

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Partners

• Centre for Environment and Sustainability (GMV),
  Chalmers and Göteborg University
  Coordination/project manegement
• Chalmers University of Technology, Forest
  Products and Chemical Engineering (Chalmers)
  Lignin Chemistry, processing and modification of
  lignin, separation processes that extracts lignin
  from the black liquor.
• Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (IWC)
  Lignin structure and physico-chemical
  properties., Development of lignin matrix
  modification procedures for obtaining
  high-value-added products for environment
  protection, agriculture and industry.
• Novozymes (NVZ) Development of enzyme based
  technologies for improved processing and improved
  upgrading of lignin based products with
  commercial potentials.
• University of Helsinki (UH) lignin chemistry and
  in applications of biomimetic catalysts on
  lignocellulosic materials. UH will study e.g. the
  use of lipid peroxidation for the modification of
  industrial lignins.
• VTT Processes (VTT) Enzymatic modification of
  lignin. Lignin desulphurization by chemical
  methods. Cracking of lignin into smaller,
  phenolic components.

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Partners

• Øresund Environment Academy Dk/Se (ØEA)
  establish and facilitate networks and projects
  between researchers and private companies. In the
  project Øresund Environment Academy will take on
  the task of creating relationships with other
  actors working in the field of lignin research.
  Øresund Environment Academy will also use our
  knowledge on environmental technology (ET) export
  and collaboration with ET promoting organisations
  to promote the project.
• Södra Producer of lignin as a by-product during
  the production of wood pulp. Use of result and
  support commercialization.
• STFI-Packforsk AB Produce a variety of selected
  lignin samples (annual plant, kraft lignin, soda
  lignin) to be tested in the project. Modify the
  lignin and characterize the lignin chemically and
  physically. Evaluate the new value chain in terms
  of economy, sustainability and technical realism.
  
• VOLVO. Assist with knowledge and application for
  lignin-based replacement materials for plastics.
  Testing of performance of lignin-based
  replacement materials using climate chamer with
  various conditions for humidity, temperature and
  UV irradiation.
• Akzo Nobel User of kraft lignin. Evaluation of
  modified lignin, upgraded products and
  commercialization into our existing surfactant
  applications.
• Perstorp Specialty Chemicals Assist
  implementation of roadmap and commercialisation
  on a global market.

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Partners

• In order to streghthen the industrial links in
  Norway and Finland, further contacts has
  been/will be taken with
• Borregaard, Norway
• Stora Enso, Finland

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Work Plan

• 1.Compilation of methods for purifying and
  processing the lignin. -Knowledge transfer on
  development of existing methods for upgrading the
  lignin fractions -Compare the advantage of a
  biological (enzymatic and/or microbial), a
  chemical extraction process, and a chemical
  catalytic process estimate potentials,
  advantages and disadvantages of all
  three.-Explore the possibilities to use various
  lignin structures as a chemical precursor for
  certain chemical substances having a potential
  high commercial value.2.Characterization of the
  potential yield and potential market
  value-Identification of chemicals to be produced
  from the lignin fractions coming from paper pulp
  industry, ethanol production, and other
  industrial processes respectively.-Characterize
  the potential yield and potential market value of
  the products.-Identification of niche-markets
  for a faster implementation of new processes
  including simplified LCA and cost benefit
  analysis.

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Work Plan

• 3.Replacement of plastics by cross-linked lignin
  materials in order to 1)improve function,
  durability and safety, and 2)to improve
  environmental standards. Such properties have
  relevance for e.g. the car industry, furniture
  and building industry etc.4.A road-map for the
  futureThe road map is intended to be a dynamic
  and efficient tool to guarantee the efforts to
  the launch of new lignin-based products on the
  international market, beyond the present project.
  The road map will highlight i) Promising new
  products and innovative producing methods ii)
  Niche-markets and future markets and a strategy
  for getting access to thoseiii) The need for
  additional policy support iv) A continuous
  analysis of similar activities abroad v) The
  need for more stable organisations beyond the
  present project. vi) The role of export
  facilitating organisations like Swentec, defined
  in round table discussions

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Project flow scheme showing the connections
between the work-packages respectively
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Key Deliverables

• WP 2, 5, 6, and 8, are project meetings, further
  meetings within the WPs will also be held.
• 01-11-2007 A list of chemicals to be
  produced from the lignin fractions coming from
  paper pulp industry, etanol production, and other
  industrial processes respectively.01-11-2007
  Document describing the specific requirements and
  challenges for the Nordic-Baltic actors
  respectively in the lignin to chemicals
  production chain. 01-11-2007 A list of
  applications of lignin based plastic materials.
  01-11-2007 Document describing the specific
  requirements for and challenges for the
  Nordic-Baltic actors respectively in the lignin
  to plastic materials production chain.
  01-11-2007 A list of applications of
  macro-molecular products based on lignins from
  ethanol production 01-11-2007 Document
  describing the specific requirements and
  challenges for the Nordic-Baltic actors
  respectively in the lignin to macro-molecular
  products manufacture chain.01-11-2007 Market
  possibilities and the innovation
  system01-11-2007 Identification of
  niche-markets, potential early users and future
  market value, both home market and international
  markets considered.01-11-2007 Analysis of the
  innovation system in the specific branch,
  including mapping the potential investors and
  other actors in the total innovation
  chain.01-11-2007 Analysis of the barriers and
  drivers for these applications of lignin use
  including the potential need for policy
  instruments. 15-05-2008 A preliminary roadmap
  synthesising the outcomes from WP 3 and
  WP4.15-11-2008 Compilation of of input from
  stakeholders on the roadmap.15-05-2009 An
  updated roadmap taking into account the outcome
  from WP 7. The road map will guide the major
  actors towards the launching of lignin based
  products on the international market. 15-05-2009
  Initiating the implementation of
  roadmap01-11-2009 Final report

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Communication Plan

• Main target groups for the Road Map
• Forest industry Transport sector Energy
  sector Chemical industry Food industry
  Environmental technology export

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Communication Plan

• Dissemination will be performed through common
  activities i.e. conferences, pressreleases,
  workshops, e-bulletins from the following
  organisations - Scanbalt Bioregion- Scanbalt
  Campus Inrerreg IIIB and its project
  partners- Øresund Environment Academy- VTT-
  University of Helsinki, Chalmers and Göteborg
  University- Novozymes

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Communication Plan

• The dissemination organisations reach out beyond
  Scandinavia and will communicate on Scandinavian
  and International level with
• Public authorities Private companies
  Individuals Regional networks Universities
  and research institutions Hospitals
  Technology transfer organisations

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Project Summary

• This project aims efficiently upgrade lignin
  fractions which will provide significant steps
  towards sustainable solutions for the society.
• Compile methods for processing the lignin,
  characterize potential yield and potential market
  value.
• Explore the possibility of replacement of
  plastics by cross-linked lignin materials.
• Create a road-map for the future to guarantee the
  efforts to launch new lignin-based products on
  the international market, beyond the present
  project.