Profitable bioenergy and paper production through innovative raw material handling and process integration

The PROFIT project aims at developing technical solutions for profitable bioenergy production (synthetic biodiesel, bio-oil, pellets) and more profitable paper production by integrating a synthetic biodiesel plant and/or a pellet plant with the Follum paper mill at Hønefoss, Norway. 

Heat integration and use of waste energy from the paper mill will form the basis for an energy efficient pellet and/or synthetic biodiesel production. In addition, the development of an innovative raw material logistics and handling system shall provide less costly, low-quality wood raw material for pellets and/or synthetic biofuel production.

Here, energy densification pretreatment techniques like torrefaction and fast pyrolysis will be addressed. For the paper producer, improved raw material handling system shall ensure improved thermomechanical pulp (TMP) quality for book paper production.The PROFIT project is funded by Norwegian Industry and the Research Council of Norway, and is a collaboration between partners from industry, institutes and universities. The project consortium possesses the competences needed to develop the technologies for establishing a bioenergy production plant integrated with the Follum paper mill at Hønefoss. Besides Norske Skog, Xynergo is participating in the project, as well as suppliers of 1) biomass drying systems 2) woodyard equipment 3) pellets production machinery and 4) heat centrals and district heating systems Xynergo AS intends to establish a synthetic biodiesel plant based on low quality wood at Hønefoss. 

In Norway the most important energy wood resources are logging residues like branches and tops from clear cuttings (GROT), whole trees from young dense stands and stumps from clear cuttings. At present these resources are utilized to a limited extent in Norway due to low profit for both the forest owners and contractors. In PROFIT, innovative logistics and energy densification techniques like torrefaction and fast pyrolysis are addressed to make bioenergy production from such materials profitable.