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Deep within the cell walls of every tree lies a powerful substance. A substance that provides the second biggest source of renewable carbon on the planet. When extracted and converted, it holds the promise to transform the way we use our natural resources to make products.
Lignin is a complex plant-derived polymer found in the cell walls of almost all dry-land plants. Trees are composed of 20-30% of lignin, where it acts as a natural and strong binder. It binds cellulose and hemicellulose together, giving wood its stiffness and resistance to rotting. After cellulose, it is the biggest renewable source of carbon anywhere.
Stora Enso's capacity is 50 000 tonnes per year of kraft lignin at its Sunila Mill, in Kotka Finland. Sunila Mill is the largest kraft lignin extraction plant in the world. Here, we have been producing lignin at industrial scale since 2015 and we’re using some of it in our lime kiln to replace the use of fossil-based fuel and reduce our CO2 emissions. All of our lignin is extracted from the kraft pulping process of Nordic softwood, pine and spruce, using the Valmet LignoBoost® technology.
As a material, lignin is:
Lignin has numerous applications across a variety of industries, including automotive, construction, coatings, plastics and pharmaceuticals. Refined lignin can replace fossil-based phenols that are used in resins for plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), paper lamination and insulation material. Other potential uses in the future include carbon fibre and carbon for energy storage.
Stora Enso currently produces and sells lignin in different formats: free-flowing brown powder (dry lignin), wet powder (wet lignin). But in the near future, we will fully replace these qualities with a granulated material for easier handling.
Productions of biodegradable polymers/polymer blend
Replacement of fossil-based phenols in resins for wood panels including plywood, OSB, LVL and impregnated paper
Replacement of fossil-based binders in insulation and particleboard applications (NeoLigno®)
Production of bio-asphalt
Production bio-based carbon fiber and bio-based carbons for energy storage (Lignode®)
Extracted from the kraft pulp process, doesn’t require any additional tree-cutting nor does it generate waste
Able to replace fossil-based materials across diverse industries and applications
Renewable material of natural origin
Traceable origin, from sustainably managed forests with FSC®/PEFC™ chain-of-custody certifications
Stora Enso’s new lignin granulation and packing plant has started operations at the company’s Sunila biomaterials production unit in Finland. Lignin granulation will help our customers handle lignin in a more efficient way compared to dry powder or wet lignin.
Stora Enso and Peab Asfalt paved an area of the Sunila pulp mill in Kotka, Finland, with asphalt in which part of the fossil-based bitumen has been replaced with renewable lignin from wood.
Latvijas Finieris, a global producer of birch plywood products under the brand Riga Wood, now uses bio-based glue in plywood production. The fossil-based phenols in the glue are replaced with bio-based lignin Lineo® by Stora Enso, and thanks to the long cooperation between Stora Enso and Latvijas Finieris, we are able to reduce the carbon footprint of Riga Wood plywood products without compromising their technical performance.
