Principle objective

Provide the necessary knowledge platform needed to develop an industrial process for efficient conversion of Scandinavian wood-based raw materials into fuel components.

Because wood-based ethanol production alone is not economically competitive, the project aimed at developing value-added products from wood lignin and extractives in a biorefinery concept.

Major scientific challenges

• Develop effective pretreatment and separation methods for effective isolation of the chemical components of wood (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and extractives)
• Develop processes for effective conversion of the lignin fraction into products suitable for use as transport fuels using existing motor technology.

R&D-partners

• University of Bergen
• Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm
• Trøndelag R&D Institute
• Paper and Fibre Research Institute (PFI).

PFI has served as project owner and coordinator. The project was carried out as a competence building R&D project under the RENERGI program of the Research Council of Norway. The project was finalised in 2008. 

Contact Person: Karin Øyaas