Metsä Group and ANDRITZ start up demo plant for new lignin products

The plant will enable Metsä Group to add new lignin products to its offering, while ANDRITZ brings its LigniOx^TM lignin recovery technology to demonstration scale.The project also involves Dow, a leading material science company, that collaborates with Metsä Group and ANDRITZ to develop bio-based plasticizers for concrete and gypsum applications with modified lignin from the demo plant.

Lignin is a substance in wood that binds wood fibers together. In pulp production, lignin is separated from the fibers into black liquor and typically used as bioenergy. Using part of this lignin for chemical and material applications improves the mill’s resource efficiency and helps replace fossil-based raw materials. 

According to Ismo Nousiainen, CEO of Metsä Fibre, a member of Metsä Group, the company's goal is to utilize wood raw material and side streams of pulp production as efficiently as possible and to create maximum added value. “Lignin has traditionally been used as bioenergy. However, it also has a number of other potential uses where it can replace fossil raw materials. The purpose of the demo plant is to ensure the functionality of the lignin product's production process, as well as the product's characteristics and suitability for the market. If everything goes according to plan, the next stage would be the design and possible construction of a production-scale plant,” says Nousiainen.

As part of its commitment to circular solutions, ANDRITZ is developing concepts for lignin recovery and modification to convert pulp mill side streams into value-added products. Kari Tuominen, CEO of ANDRITZ Oy, states: “This project demonstrates how collaboration can reshape entire industries. Together, we’re unlocking lignin’s potential to deliver greener and innovative solutions for tomorrow and reduce reliance on fossil-based materials.”

The partners have previously collaborated in the LigniOx EU project coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, which demonstrated the suitability of modified lignin as a replacement for fossil-based chemicals in concrete production at pilot scale. The current project brings the technology to demonstration scale, supporting the next steps toward future commercial production and accelerating the transition to renewable materials. It showcases how industrial collaboration supported by partnership with research and technology organizations like VTT can drive the shift toward a low-carbon, circular economy.

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ANDRITZ GROUP
International technology group ANDRITZ provides advanced plants, equipment, services, and digital solutions for a wide range of industries, including pulp and paper, metals, hydropower, environmental, and others. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in Austria, the publicly listed group employs about 30,000 people at 280 locations in over 80 countries.

As a global leader in technology and innovation, ANDRITZ is committed to fostering progress that benefits customers, partners, employees, society, and the environment. The company’s growth is driven by sustainable solutions enabling the green transition, advanced digitalization for highest industrial performance, and comprehensive services that maximize the value of customers’ plants over their entire life cycle. ANDRITZ. FOR GROWTH THAT MATTERS.

ANDRITZ PULP & PAPER
ANDRITZ Pulp & Paper provides sustainable technology, automation, and service solutions for the production of all types of pulp, paper, board and tissue. The technologies and services focus on increased production efficiency, lower overall operating costs as well as innovative decarbonization strategies and autonomous plant operation.

The product portfolio also includes boilers for power generation, various nonwoven technologies, and panelboard (MDF) production systems. With waste-to-value recycling, shredding and energy solutions, waste and by-product streams from production are converted into valuable secondary raw materials as well as into sustainable resources for energy generation. State-of-the-art IIoT technologies as part of Metris digitalization solutions complete the comprehensive product offering.