FPInnovations and Resolute open a pilot biorefinery in Ontario to produce 2G sugars and lignin

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Type of post: NEWS.

FPInnovations and Resolute Forest Products Inc. have just announced the commissioning of a new biorefinery at pilot scale in Thunder Bay (Ontario, Canada). The facility is focused on developing new ways to efficiently manufacture and market innovative wood-based biochemical products and it is based on the TMP-Bio technology developed by FPInnovations.
Press release: “FPInnovations and Resolute Inaugurate Thermomechanical Pulp Bio-Refinery in Thunder Bay”, 27/5/2019.
Related post: “FPInnovations will partner with Resolute to launch pilot-scale biorefinery”, 25/8/2016.
Information about TMP-Bio technology: “Sweetening the bioproducts’ market”, 1/15/2018.

Figure 1. Logos of FPInnovations and Resolute

Background

In view of the downturn in the demand for pulp and paper in North America and the growing demand for bioproducts from renewable resources, the research team of FPInnovations designed a process to obtain an alternative revenue source utilizing idled facilities and creating jobs.

TMP-Bio technology has been already proven at laboratory and small pilot scales. In fact, FPInnovations’ facility in Pointe-Claire (Quebec, Canada) can produce one to two tons of sugar per year. FPInnovations and Resolute joined forces in early 2018 to build a larger pilot plant at Resolute's Thunder Bay pulp and paper mill. With the capacity to treat 100 metric tons of biomass annually, the new pilot biorefinery produces lignin and sugars for use in the development of innovative bioproducts (wood adhesives, animal feed and composites).

The objective of this project is to de-risk subsequent scale-up and commercialization stages by: understanding the behaviour of key process unit operations sized for commercial production, providing larger samples to potential end-users to help confirm market needs and garnering interest in building a commercial plant.

Technology

The solid understanding of the process and equipment obtained by the research team enabled them to develop a modified CTMP/TMP (Chemi-Thermal Mechanical Pulping / Thermal Mechanical Pulping) process, accompanied by enzymatic hydrolysis. The process combines a mild chemical treatment and low-temperature mechanical refining to transform hardwood into clean sugar and hydrolysis lignin (H-lignin) streams.

The 2G sugars produced can be converted by specialised companies into intermediate chemicals, mainly lactic or succinic acid. These platform chemicals can be then transformed into a broad range of products such as polyurethanes, paints, plastics, textiles, cosmetics and personal care products.

Unlike the sugar streams, H-lignin can be used as a biomaterial itself. Applications for it are currently being developed in the lab. Just like any other lignocellulosic biomass biorefinery process, finding and developing high-value lignin products and applications are critical to the economic feasibility of TMP-Bio.

Support

This 23 million C$ project is part of an initiative to renew and transform the forest products industry, building on investments by Resolute, the Ontario Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy (CRIBE) and Natural Resources Canada. The project also has the support of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, FedNor, the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, in addition to contributions in research and applications from the Québec Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks and the Nova Scotia Innovation Hub.

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