Biorefinery an exciting sector for the forest industry

Future advancements in biorefinery are a focus of attention for most companies in the pulp and paper industry today. Those are the themes of the World Biorefinery conference. What should they invest in, what are the technological solutions, and what is of most economic interest? “This is an important development area for the entire forest industry,” comments Rikard Wallin, the chairman of SPCI and Mill Manager of Holmen Paper Braviken. “In our own company we’re now considering what steps to take in this field.”

Those are the themes of the World Biorefinery conference to be organised by SPCI, an association of Swedish pulp and paper professionals, at Elmia in Jönköping at the end of May.

World Biorefinery is being held concurrently with the World Bioenergy international conference and trade fair. The two topics are interlinked, which is one reason why Elmia and SPCI chose to hold their conference at Elmia in Jönköping both this year and in 2014.

“It’s an opportunity to make new contacts and establish networks for the future,” explains the executive director of SPCI, Marina Asp.

An equally positive attitude prevails among the green energy companies that are members of the Swedish Bioenergy Association Svebio, which co-organises World Bioenergy together with Elmia.

“The forest is a renewable resource with the potential to reduce climate change in many areas,” says Gustav Melin, managing director of Svebio.

Advancements in biorefinery are already being made in Sweden. A number of the country’s pulp and paper mills already supply energy in the form of solid and liquid fuels and district heating. One pulp mill, Domsjö outside the town of Örnsköldsvik, has been transformed into a biorefinery that produces chemicals and special cellulose for textiles. Södra, a major association of forest owners in southern Sweden, is developing new methods and products. And so on.

The World Biorefinery conference is being held at Elmia from 29 to 30 May 2012. The World Bioenergy conference and trade fair will continue for another day, from 29 to 31 May.