13.9 million from the research council
Borregaard has been awarded funding of NOK 13.9 million from the Research Council of Norway for two different innovation projects on the utilisation of lignin from wood.
NOK 3.4 million of the funding will support a project called WOCA, which aims to develop bio-based binders for the metallurgical industry. The binders represent a sustainable alternative to the oil-based products used in this industry today. The project will run for three years, starting in 2017, and has a total budget of NOK 23.6 million. WOCA is a continuation of a Research Council-funded project in which Borregaard and Elkem have collaborated for the past three years.
A further NOK 10.5 million will go to an innovation project called Ligno2G. This project involves modifying lignin to enhance its performance in applications in areas such as agriculture and textile dyes. New, green lignin products will be able to replace petrochemical polymers. The Ligno2G project also starts in 2017, will run for four years, and has a total budget of NOK 30 million. Parts of the project will be implemented in collaboration with external partners such as the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE).
Both projects have received funding from the NOK 950 million advertised by the Research Council for innovation projects in business and industry. The funds were allocated to 125 projects among 400 applications received.