SWEETWOODS project completed with the inauguration of the flagship plant fractionating biomass into lignins and sugar
A recently completed SWEETWOODS is a 43M€ joint pilot project that was granted 21M€ in funding from the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU) instrument under the EU Horizon 2020 programme. Supported by Spinverse throughout its journey, the six-year project reached its completion in May 2024 with the festive inauguration of the flagship biorefinery in Imavere, Estonia. The Fibenol flagship plant has established itself as a cornerstone of the bio-based economy of the future.
Bringing together nine companies throughout Europe
Eight European innovation-oriented companies, led by Fibenol from Estonia, united for the SWEETWOODS project to revolutionise the wood industry, with the aim to reduce global dependence on fossil energy sources and transform wood processing. The consortium believes that almost everything made from oil could be replaced by wood-based biomaterials in the future.
Milestone achieved: Inauguration of the Fibenol biorefinery plant
At the core of this initiative was the establishment of a first-of-its-kind wood fractionation demonstration plant in Imavere, Estonia. The plant had its festive inauguration ceremony in May 2024, bringing together a large group of contributors to the project.
The Fibenol biorefinery uses sustainably sourced and certified hardwood biomass as the raw material. This plant demonstrates for the first time on an industrial scale, how novel pre-treatment technology, Sunburst combined with innovative enzymatic solutions can achieve sugar recovery levels of over 90% and produce exceptionally high-quality lignin.
Projects and companies in the material and chemical industries have already adopted Fibenol biomaterial as a feedstock for innovative processes, helping to reduce their SCOPE 3 CO2 emissions. The game-changing technology used in the plant converts over 90% of the hardwood into valuable biomaterials. This breakthrough enables the production of a variety of high-value bioproducts and the establishment of new bio-based value chains with a low ecological footprint, showcasing high sustainability and efficiency in the wood industry.
Benefits of joint EU projects and how Spinverse can help
The journey of the SWEETWOODS project has been a showcase of public-private partnerships, united efforts and innovation, as well as of creating new jobs and boosting the regional economy. “Putting together and managing a large consortium of diverse partners is not an easy challenge. Clear goals and a dedicated team of experts helped greatly to finalize this project successfully and I really hope in the end, the efforts paid off for all parties involved,” says Karl Peebo, SWEETWOODS project manager from Fibenol.
Spinverse had the pleasure of contributing to the success of SWEETWOODS by providing expertise in applying for the EU funding and upon its positive outcome, in participating in the consortium as a partner, responsible for dissemination and exploitation activities. Karl Peebo from Fibenol comments on the collaboration with Spinverse as follows: “Professional team kept the project management under control over all the challenging times.”
Spinverse team congratulates the SWEETWOODS project on its successful outcome and wishes all the best on the next steps of the journey in developing bio-based economy.
Main photo: Fibenol
More information:
Insights into CBE project coordination: SWEETWOODS flagship
SWEETWOODS website
Fibenol partnerships