Stora Enso and Valmet have started collaborating on next-generation lignin product and process development to drive Stora Enso's lignin-based businesses and further improve the performance of the Valmet LignoBoost technology.
The objective of the partnership is to further develop the quality and customer value of lignin, increase the supply by optimized process machinery and asset design, and to accelerate the speed of meeting the growing lignin demand of the future.
"We are developing our lignin offering to be able to meet the growing need for lignin and tailor it for our customers working with various end-applications. With next-generation lignin, we can, for instance, enable the development of sustainable battery technologies," says Kimmo Ruohoniemi, Head of Lignin Operations at Stora Enso.
Stora Enso has been the largest kraft lignin producer in the world since 2015. At its Sunila site in Finland, Stora Enso uses Valmet's LignoBoost technology for lignin extraction.
Hanna Karlsson, Manager for Valmet LignoBoost Technology, explained, "Our focus in LignoBoost development is to tailor the lignin quality for improved end-product fit, reduce production costs, and at the same time improve the production process in general. It is rewarding to do this kind of product development where we have a clear and concrete end goal."
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