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Aiming for Emission-Free Pulping: Forest Industry and Scientific Community Join Forces

Aiming for Emission-Free Pulping Forest Industry and Scientific Community Join Forces

Thanks to the strong support from the forest industry and public funding, 10 research organizations, universities, and companies are establishing a groundbreaking research program with around 20 full-time researchers. The Emission Free Pulping program aims to significantly reduce biomass burning and increase the product yield of wood material used for pulping from approximately 50% to around 70%. The program is projected to have a budget of around 15 million euros over the next five years.

Atte Virtanen VTT

The forest industry, technology companies, research organizations, and universities have joined forces to revolutionize the traditional pulping processes under the joint leadership of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. The Emission Free Pulping research program intends to find ways to improve energy efficiency, enhance the efficiency of wood usage and conversion to products, achieve emission-free pulping (especially carbon dioxide emissions), and significantly reduce water usage in the processes. 

So far, five industrial companies have committed to the program, and they will bring in their knowledge about industrial relevance and operations as well as financial contribution. ANDRITZ, Arauco, Metsä Group, Stora Enso, and Valmet have committed to a five-year collaboration with the research organizations and universities for this program. The program has been granted substantial funding from Business Finland, amounting to over 5 million euros over a three-year period.

The expertise and knowledge being developed will be internationally groundbreaking, and the program’s sought-after results are expected to have wide-ranging effects. 

International collaboration across sectors 

Strong commitment from leading universities in both Finland and Sweden creates the conditions for the success of the project. The project involves significant contributions from Aalto University, Chalmers University of Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, LUT University, Mid Sweden University, University of Helsinki, University of Oulu, and Åbo Akademi University. 

The Finnish public funding enables the hiring of the initial group of scientists that will be expanded with further funding from the companies involved. The goal is to form a group of 10–20 researchers focusing full-time on advancing the research agenda collectively agreed upon by the consortium. 

Public funding is currently being sought also in Sweden, and doors are open to new corporate partners. 

Portugal celbi 3360 ANDRITZ


Emission Free Pulping – in a nutshell

Further information:

Atte Virtanen, Vice President, VTT
atte.virtanen@vtt.fi
+358 50 577 9770

Johan Engström, CTO, ANDRITZ
johan.engstrom@andritz.com
+358 40 860 5389

Mikael Hannus, Senior Vice President, Group Innovation R&D, Stora Enso
mikael.hannus@storaenso.com
+46 70 377 5702

Katariina Kemppainen, SVP Group R&D, Metsä Group
katariina.kemppainen@metsagroup.com
+358 50 375 2212

Per Tomani, Director Research & Business Development, RISE
per.tomani@ri.se 
+46 76 876 72 81 

Timo Metsä-Tokila, Executive Director, Funding Services, Business Finland
timo.metsa-tokila@businessfinland.fi
+358 40 750 2442

Further information on VTT:

Satu Holm-Jumppanen, Manager, Communications +358 50 305 4718, satu.holm-jumppanen@vtt.fi www.vtt.fi

VTT is a visionary research, development and innovation partner. We drive sustainable growth and tackle the biggest global challenges of our time, and turn them into growth opportunities. We go beyond the obvious to help the society and companies to grow through technological innovations. We have over 80 years of experience of top-level research and science-based results. VTT is at the sweet spot where innovation and business come together. VTT – beyond the obvious.

RISE is Sweden’s research institute and innovation partner. Through our international collaboration programmes with industry, academia and the public sector, we ensure the competitiveness of the Swedish business community on an international level and contribute to a sustainable society. Our almost 3300 employees engage in and support all types of innovation processes. RISE is an independent, State-owned research institute, which offers unique expertise and over 130 testbeds and demonstration environments for future-proof technologies, products and services.Swedish research creating sustainable growth | RISE

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