Biomethanol
Fuel for a better future
Our biomethanol is made from the same wood raw material as our paper pulp and textile pulp. It’s a renewable, fossil-free product, manufactured without compromising the properties of traditional methanol.
If your company wants to be part of the transition to climate-smart solutions, Södra’s Liquid Forest™ Biomethanol is a green and real alternative, which already has broad applications. In addition, Liquid Forest™ Biomethanol is now available in large and reliable volumes, thanks to our investments in a world-unique production facility.
We can offer 5,250 tonnes of biomethanol per year, with properties and quality equal to all types of methanol on the market. The difference is that our product is completely bio-based and renewable. It’s liquid Swedish forest, providing fuel for a brighter outlook.
How we produce biomethanol
The production of biomethanol begins with the sulphate pulp process at our mill. Wood chips are cooked with chemicals to separate the wood into its constituents, i.e. cellulose and hemicellulose (pulp) and lignin. Methanol is created when the wood and chemicals react.
After cooking, the chemicals, lignin and other residues are washed out of the pulp. They form black liquor, whose water content is then reduced by evaporation. What remains is a condensate of methanol, turpentine and sulfur compounds.
The condensate is cleaned to be reused in the mill and then raw methanol is created, which is a mixture of combustible residues. In normal cases, raw methanol is burned to produce heat and energy. But thanks to a patented extraction process, we can now produce a commercial grade methanol product instead. For every ton of pulp that leaves our mill, we can produce about 10 kg of biomethanol.
Certified sustainability all the way
By using biomethanol from Södra you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint – up to 99%. The product is certified according to ISCC, which means that its manufacturing is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. Biomethanol is thereby an important product for creating a more climate-smart future.
The raw material for our biomethanol comes from the sustainable forests of our members. Since these members comprise tens of thousands of small-scale forest owners, each with their own goals and visions, it contributes to the variety and diversity in the Swedish forest. About 70 percent of our members are FSC® and/or PEFC™ certified.
Certificates & technical data sheets
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