POLYNOL - Integrated production of polymers and second generation ethanol from forest and sugar cane industries

Purpose and goal

The aim of the project in phase A was to establish a strategic collaboration between R&D&I actors in the biorefinery area in Sweden and Brazil, in order to develop a new process concept and value chains for renewable materials, chemicals and fuels that can replace products made from fossil raw materials. The main goal of establishing a consortium with Swedish and Brazilian companies and research institutes in the biorefinery area, and link this consortium to universities in both countries was fulfilled. The consortium was formalized in a Memorandum of Understanding.

Results and expected effects

1. An established industrial consortium (Innventia, AkzoNobel, Stora Enso, Fibria, SEKAB, Kemiinformation) that can develop the concept into commercial products and processes. 2. A network for collaboration between Swedish and Brazilian companies, institutes and universities in the biorefinery area. 3. We have also gained new knowledge about the possibilities to produce products with high value from a clean hydrolysate, specifically by showing that pulp is appropriate as a sugar source for further processing into fermentation products.

Approach and implementation

Creation of the consortium followed a well structured plan with initial contacts and meetings to agree on ideas and define complementary roles for each partner, then a formalized collaboration in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding. It can be noted that the success of the project would not have been possible without the many contacts taken before the start of the project. The costs were also considerably higher than what was anticipated. The technical pre-study was well executed by the partners and added a true collaboration component to the phase of building the consortium.