by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) FPInnovations and Resolute Forest Products Inc. announced May 27 the commissioning of a new pilot biorefinery that converts wood biomass into lignin and sugars. On the same day, the Canadian government awarded C$2 million to the project.
The TMP-Bio pilot plant, located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, features a patented thermomechanical technology developed by FPInnovations. The facility has the capacity to treat 100 metric tons of biomass annually. Lignin and sugars produced at the facility will be used in the development of innovative biobased products, such as wood adhesives, animal feed and composites.
FPInnovations and Resolute Forest Products joined forces in early 2018 to build the facility, which is located at Resolute’s Thunder Bay pulp and paper mill. The C$23 million project is part of an initiative to renew and transform the Canadian forest products industry, building on investments by Resolute, the Ontario Center for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy, and Natural Resources Canada. READ MORE