The current focus on undesirable climatic changes, greenhouse gas emissions from processing of non-renewable resources as well as dwindling oil resources, has brought about a search for sustainable raw material inputs and industry processes. Lignocellulosic biomass represents a significant source of natural, renewable and sustainable raw materials.
The biorefinery represents a promising solution to the need for new, environmentally friendly raw materials and industry processes. The biorefinery concept is analogous to the basic concept of conventional oil refineries: to produce a variety of fuels and other products (e.g. green chemicals and materials) from a certain biomass feedstock. The economic competitiveness of the biorefinery is based on the production of high-value, low-volume co-products in addition to comparably low-value products such as biofuels.
Cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, the main constituents in lignocellulose, represent renewable raw materials of high availability. These raw materials have the potential to replace fossil inputs in existing and future industrial processes.
The future exploitation of lignocellulosic raw materials in novel industrial processes calls for the development of effective pretreatment, separation and conversion methods. PFI has a long history of conversion of lignocellulose to pulp and paper products, giving significant knowhow on wood fibre chemistry/morphology and processing. In recent years this competence has been extended to include also conversion to second generation biofuels (see PFI projects LignoRef, Bio-ethanol, Biofuel), bio-oil, bioenergy and value-added products (chemicals, novel materials), by biochemical and thermochemical conversion routs.
Through our extensive portfolio of ongoing PFI R&D activities within this area we have been able to build a wide competence in the lignocellulose based biorefinery area. We hope that our competence will aid the industry in their continuous efforts to develop improved and novel products, in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly manner.
Contact: Karin Øyaas