“To successfully tackle climate change, Europe will need all available bioethanol. Softwood residues are amongst the most climate-friendly raw materials available, and using them for ethanol production is made possible through our technology Celluapp,” said Marlene Mörtsell, Celluapp Technology Manager at SEKAB E-Technology.
Nordfuel will be a full-scale biorefinery, producing bioethanol and biogas for the transport sector, lignin to fuel the power plant in Haapavesi, as well as manure.
According to the Kanteleen Voima website, the plan is to build the new biorefinery next to the Haapavesi thermal power plant 120 kilometres south of Uleåborg in Northern Finland. Haapavesi is located within 100–160 kilometres of four ports (Kalajoki, Kokkola, Pietarsaari and Raahe) and is surrounded by forested lands.
In addition to the power plant, which has a heating capacity of 390 MW, the area is also home to a biofuel terminal. In connection with the new investment, the existing thermal power plant would be developed into an industrial CHP plant.
”For us, there was never any doubt about who would become our technology provider for this project. The Celluapp technology is world-leading, and SEKAB has extensive experience in producing bioethanol from softwood residue,” said Teija Mäyrä, Head of Technology at Kanteleen Voima.
SEKAB’s technology platform Celluapp makes it possible to extract cellulose sugars and lignin from forest or agricultural residues, processing them into biofuels or renewable chemical products. The technology can be used in new biorefineries, or to develop existing facilities.
