Zero Emission Biochemical and Renewable Additives

ongoing

Europe is the second largest producer of pulp and paper in the World. In 2019 over 38 billion tonnes was produced on the continent, which resulted in 20% of the global pulp production. This industry is responsible for 11 million tonnes of waste in Europe alone, waste that will end up in landfills or refuse sites. A significant portion of this waste is black liquor, a toxic waste that is predominantly burnt for energy recovery or sent for disposal. CENER have developed a unique thermo-oxidative depolymerization process to extract high value added bioaromatic compounds from lignin that can be used to substitute the existing fossil fuel-based additives in the market and many other applications like rubber, fuels, lubricants, food industry, and cosmetics. The ZEBRA-LIFE project addresses two important problems: waste production by the pulp and paper industry and the environmental and health impacts caused by the production and use of synthetic additives in multiple industrial products. The technology that has been developed for the ZEBRA-LIFE project (lignin depolymerizations + downstream formulisation) enables paper mills to valorise their black liquor by-product in the form of a natural antioxidant (AOx) and UV filter product to create a new circular value chain. The potential impacts of this project are reducing the damage to the environment from the paper and pulp industry (waste, GHG emissions, etc.), increasing employment in various sectors, the implementation of a circular economy with upscale developments, and renewable energy production from a locally sourced product.