Metsä Group to Construct Demo Plant for Lignin Refining in Connection With Its Äänekoski, Finland, Bioproduct Mill

On Friday, Metsä Group announced that it will be constructing a demo plant for lignin refining in connection with its Äänekoski, Finland, bioproduct mill. The equipment will be supplied by technology group ANDRITZ. Construction will begin this summer, and the demo plant will be completed in late 2025.

The plant’s daily capacity will be two tons of the lignin product. Lignin is a substance in wood that binds wood fibers together. In pulp production, lignin is separated from the fibers into black liquor in the chemical cycle and used as bioenergy. Lignin could also be used in chemical and material applications.

According to the press release, the Metsä Group and ANDRITZ will focus on developing the production process of the new lignin product and its integration with the bioproduct mill, as well as the product’s properties suitable for various end uses. The demo plant project also involves Dow, a leading material science company, which will develop high-performance bio-dispersant plasticizers for concrete and gypsum applications based on the lignin product produced at the plant.

In comments prepared for the announcement, Ismo Nousiainen, CEO of Metsä Fiber, part of the Metsä Group, said:

“Our goal is to efficiently use the side streams of pulp production and ensure they produce the greatest possible added value. We want to develop new products made from renewable natural resources that can replace fossil-based raw materials and products.”

The Äänekoski mill area is Metsä Group’s largest, housing a paperboard, veneer, and bioproduct mill. Äänekoski is also home to Metsä Group’s demo plants for the Kuura textile fiber and Muoto fiber product.