Sappi has entered into an agreement with Valmet for the construction of a second generation sugar extraction demonstration plant to explore and optimise the extraction of biorenewable chemicals. The plant will be close to industrial size and will be located at Sappi’s Ngodwana Mill in Mpumalanga.

Start-up of the new plant is scheduled for the beginning of 2017.

The demonstration plant will extract hemicellulose sugars and lignin from Sappi’s existing dissolving pulp line.

Andrea Rossi, Group Head Technology, explained that the demonstration plant will accelerate Sappi’s move into new adjacent business fields based on renewable raw materials. Sappi’s strategy includes seeking growth opportunities by extracting further value from existing production processes.

The feedstock for the demonstration plant would be supplied from Sappi’s Ngodwana dissolving wood pulp plant.

The demonstration plant is the precursor for Sappi to consider construction of commercial plants at its dissolving wood pulp mills. The plant will also be used to improve the dissolving wood pulp manufacturing process.