Coming soon: The world’s largest kraft lignin plant
Startup of the world’s largest kraft lignin plant is on schedule for the second quarter of 2027, at our Mönsterås mill in southern Sweden. Should the project be rolled out at all three pulp mills, Södra’s total potential production capacity could be 250,000 tpy.
Lignin is the organic polymer which binds the fibres in a tree together. When trees become pulp, we extract the lignin from the process and until now, we have used it primarily as a source of energy via the recovery boiler, which is standard practice for pulp mills.
However, lignin has the potential to contribute far more to the green economy. Our focus is on maximum resource efficiency and making the most of every tree we harvest. We also want to add value for our forest-owner members. By enhancing our competitiveness and extracting maximum value from our processes, we secure our position for the longer term. For pulp customers, that means peace of mind that we will remain a secure source of fibre long into the future.
Lignin applications are growing fast, driven by market demand for sustainable materials and solutions. It has so much potential in everything from anode materials for batteries to chemicals and binding material in wood products.
Thanks to our continual investment in energy efficiency at Mönsterås, we don’t need all the lignin we currently use to remain self-sufficient in green energy. We will still produce enough surplus to supply the local community too. The kraft lignin we produce will store carbon and will be supplied in granulated form as opposed to the more common wet cake or powder which contains more water or dust, bringing extra benefits in terms of transport, safety and a smaller carbon footprint.
Show all content for topic
Subjects:
