20.12.2024 – LignEasy celebrates milestones in process and product development in 2024

LignEasy marks 2024 as a year of transformative achievements, drawing attention from major players in the pulp and paper industry, securing key funding, and delivering significant advancements in process and product development. These accomplishments highlight the growing impact of LignEasy’s technology and its role in advancing the bioeconomy sector.

Process Development: Exceeding expectations at LignoCity

At LignoCity, a lignin development facility operated by the Swedish RISE, LignEasy made significant progress in developing its technology. Working closely with local stakeholders, the team successfully commissioned its pilot unit of the patented technology.

One of the most notable milestones was achieving stable production at a capacity exceeding 1 ton/day, originally targeted as part of the European Innovation Council (EIC) project. This accomplishment demonstrates the scalability of LignEasy’s process and its readiness for future expansions, with additional scale-up phases already planned for 2025.

“This milestone is significant as we’ve not only exceeded our target but also have substantial capacity reserved for future scale-ups. Our R&D work has identified parameters that enhance energy efficiency while maintaining high performance and product quality. These promising results suggest a positive outlook for the future development and economic prospects of our process.” said Topias Anttila, CTO at LignEasy.

Product Development: Validating Lignin’s Versatility

LignEasy continued to follow its ambitious roadmap, successfully validating its lignin use in multiple end-use applications. Each validation not only confirms lignin’s versatility but also highlights the benefits for both industry and society. Key achievements include:

• Phenolic Resins: Together with industrial partners, LignEasy demonstrated the suitability of its lignin for phenol formaldehyde resins while maintaining identical performance to the fossil-based product. According to LCA calculations, a replacement ratio of up to 50% of fossil-based phenol leads to a significant 28% reduction in CO₂ emissions of the final resin, contributing directly to global decarbonization goals.
• Bioplastics: Partnering with specialized companies, LignEasy validated its lignin as a promising raw material also for bioplastic manufacturing. With our partner’s process, LignEasy’s lignin enables the production of low-carbon footprint bioplastics, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics.
• Polyurethane foams: In collaboration key stakeholders, LignEasy has successfully proven its lignin’s potential as a sustainable replacement for polyols in polyurethane foams. Similarly to phenolic resins, by achieving 30% replacement of fossil-based polyols, our product results in an 11% reduction in CO₂ emissions, advancing the transition toward greener materials.

Looking Ahead

With 2024 marking a year of both technological and commercial success, LignEasy is well-positioned for future growth. The company is already planning further scale-ups to meet the growing demand for sustainable lignin solutions in global markets.

“During the past couple of years, we have secured funding for validating our future-proof lignin technology in an industrially relevant environment and developed proven lignin end-uses. LignEasy is now in the verge of commercialisation of the technology to the pulp mills and lignin products to the end-use applications.” said Juho-Matti Karpale, LignEasy’s CEO.

About LignEasy

LignEasy is a pioneering bio-based materials start-up dedicated to unlocking the full potential of lignin for sustainable industrial applications. By combining cutting-edge technology with partnerships across industries, LignEasy delivers high-performance, eco-friendly solutions that address global challenges in packaging, resins, bioplastics and others.