Sekab and Vertoro to build a demo biorefinery to produce a new platform for sustainable fuels, chemicals and materials

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Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.

The Swedish chemical and clean tech company Sekab together with the Dutch oil company Vertoro have begun the construction of a new demonstration plant in Örnsköldsvik (Sweden) to produce a 2G platform (Goldilocks®) for sustainable fuels, chemicals and materials.
Press release: “Sekab and Vertoro to build large-scale demonstration plant to produce a new platform for sustainable fuels, chemicals, and materials”, 9/3/2020.

Figure 1. Michael Boot (CEO of Vertoro) and Monica Normark (Head of Sekab E-Technology) (extracted from the press release)

In the new plant, biomass, lignin or residues from the paper and pulp and forestry industry will be converted into Goldilocks®, a proprietary blend of ethanol and soluble lignin oligomers. Goldilocks® is solvent soluble, melt-flowable and easy to process. With this technology, it is possible to use renewable raw materials to replace crude oil based products. Production is expected to start in about a year and deliver biofuel to the shipping sector as a first off take for this lignin ethanol oil product. The same technology can be used to produce biofuels for both aviation and cars, as well as bio-based chemicals.

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