VIOBOND project to develop lignin-based products for commercialization

June 8, 2021 |

In Latvia, a project was selected in the frame of HORIZON Europe program for research and innovation that aims to take significant commercialization steps based on the natural wood component lignin, creating industrial technologies for a significant reduction of the share of fossil raw materials in phenol formaldehyde resin, which is currently widely used in various everyday products. 

Replacing refined petroleum products, phenol, and formaldehyde in resins with industrially produced renewable lignin will achieve the objective set by VIOBOND partners – the use of bio-based, more environmentally friendly and less toxic materials in the production of furniture, floor coverings, thermal insulation, sandpaper and other everyday products.

The coordinator of the cross-sectoral project VIOBOND is the Latvijas Finieris Group – a world leader in research, development, and production of high-value-added birch plywood products. Together with 8 partners, the project combines knowledge and experience in lignin, wood processing, energy, engineering and other fields of scientific research and industrial production:

  • Latvijas Finieris (Latvia) – birch plywood production, chemical industry 
  • Graanul Biotech (Estonia) – wood processing via fractionation technology and supply of different lignin qualities
  • St1 (Finland) – biorefining, lignin producer
  • Chempolis (Finland) – biorefining, lignin producer
  • Saint-Gobain Finland (Finland) – engineering technologies, resin user
  • Mirka (Finland) – engineering technologies, resin user
  • Pörner Ingenieurgesellshaft (Germany) – engineering technologies
  • Fundacio Universitaria Balmes (Spain) – sustainability assessment
  • Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (Latvia) – analytics, research, and development

The total eligible costs of the VIOBOND project is EUR35 million, of which EUR16 million comes from the EU (Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking) and the rest from companies participating in the project. The program’s support shall focus on tackling climate change and investing in the sustainable development goals, contributing to the EU’s competitiveness and growth.

Category: Research

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