Borregaard: The world's leading biorefinery

Sustainable products

The EU's goal is to replace a considerable portion of chemicals based on oil with products made from renewable materials by 2010. Borregaard's wood based products are based on renewable, degradable and sustainable raw materials, and can in most instances replace oil-based alternatives. Therefore, Borregaard's products can be a part of the future's climate solution.

Borregaard's products within specialty cellulose, lignin, vanillin and bioethanol compete with non-renewable products based on oil or petrochemical raw materials which produce greenhouse gas emissions during production. A life cycle analysis (LCA) carried out in cooperation with Østfold Research, shows that Borregaard's products come out very well when compared to competing products with respect to low greenhouse gas emissions.

Specialty cellulose

The fibres in the wood are converted into advanced grades of specialty cellulose for products within construction and the oil industry, and for the production of foodstuffs, tablets, cosmetics, filters, hygiene products, paints and much more.

Textiles such as viscose and rayon are wood-based and can be good alternatives to synthetic fabrics or cotton - which are often cultivated through the considerable use of insecticides, fertiliser and genetically modified organisms.

Lignin

The wood’s binding agent, lignin, is the raw material for additives used in, among other things, concrete and building materials, textile dyes, ceramic products, batteries, mining activities and agricultural and fishery products.

Borregaard is a world leader within lignin-based products. The largest area of use for lignin products is as an additive in concrete. In addition to providing advantages in terms of strength and quality, the lignin also means that the water and cement content of the concrete can be reduced. This contributes to a lower energy need and not least lower CO2 emissions linked to the production of cement.

Vanillin

Lignin is also the source for the flavouring agent vanillin. Vanillin is the world's most used taste and flavouring agent. Most of the world's vanillin production is based upon petrochemical raw materials and Borregaard is the only producer in the world to make vanillin from wood.

Bioethanol

Bioethanol is produced from the sugar in the wood, which is used among other things for technical purposes in the pharmaceutical industry, paints, varnishes, car care products, and as fuel for the environmentally friendly buses.

Today, ethanol is made from both petrochemical raw materials and biological materials. Borregaard's ethanol is so-called second generation bioethanol and is produced through fermentation of the sugars in the timber stock.