Emission Free Pulping

The Emission Free Pulping project, coordinated by VTT, is an ambitious joint effort of six Finnish research organizations (Aalto University, Lappeenranta University of Technology, University of Oulu, University of Helsinki, VTT and Åbo Akademi University), supported by four industrial partners Metsä, Valmet, Andritz and Arauco. The objective of this Emission Free Pulping project is to make substantial reductions in C02 emissions within industrial pulping processes. Given that C02 emissions are already under consideration and are expected to be subject to strictest regulations in the near future, the project’s outcomes will not only benefit Finnish companies but also international companies in the pulp industry. The project seeks to help these companies meet the increasingly stringent C02 emission requirements by pioneering new process concepts.

The pulp and paper industry is one of the largest, but also the most energy and material intensive industry in the world. In the recent years, the increasing awareness of the environmental issues and tighter emission reduction targets have drawn attention to the pulp production.

One key focus of this Emission Free pulping project is the more efficient utilization of wood materials, with the aim of achieving higher pulp yields. Leveraging novel analytics will provide enhanced insights and a deeper understanding of fundamental pulping phenomena, crucial for the development of innovative concepts. The developed process technologies offer opportunities for scaling up novel chemistries, and previously tested pulping methods have potential in high-yield processing approaches. The properties of high-yield pulp will also be thoroughly studied, contributing to the overall success of this transformative project.