From Underutilized Forest Biomass Residues to Chemicals and Plastics

Current C0₂ emissions of chemical and plastics industry are high both from the operations and from the release of the carbon embedded in the products. To replace the fossil carbon in the products, new sustainable raw materials and conversion routes from those raw materials to chemical industry feedstocks need to be mapped and developed. In ForePlast, underutilized biomass-based residues and wastes are studied and the most potential ones are identified. Proof-of-concepts to convert selected 2-3 biomass streams to chemical industry feedstocks fulfilling the specifications is performed. Furthermore, techno-economic viability, sustainability and business opportunities of the developed concepts will be evaluated.

In Co-Creation phase, the most important duties are to perform preliminary mapping of the potential biomass residues and waste streams in Finland and recognize routes from those for chemical industry feedstocks, map and contact relevant actors connected to the identified value chains and collect a consortium for Co-Innovation application.