Pilot plant launched in Finland

Finnish company Chempolis, involved in the development and delivery of non-wood and non-food based process technologies and production solutions, has launched a pilot plant in Oulu, northern Finland.

The $24.4 million (€19.7 million) biorefinery will produce a daily supply of 68 tonnes of cellulosic ethanol from agricultural waste and waste paper.

The facility will also be used to test raw materials for the production of small amounts of bioethanol, biochemicals and papermaking fibres.

The technology the company will use to create bioethanol is called formicobio, which, Chempolis says, can be licensed based on customer demand.