AaltoCell™ concept successful in international biorefinery competition

The Ministry of Employment and the Economy (TEM) published the results of its international biorefinery competition on 24 February 2015. A biorefinery designed to be built in Kemijärvi, Finland came in shared second place in the competition. The project has already received a lot of publicity in the press. The successful project, entered in the competition by the Kemijärvi Consortium, uses wood in a new way to produce biomaterials and biochemicals that have a global demand.

The most recent innovations in the field of bioeconomy by both Aalto University and foreign companies have been applied in the development of the biorefinery project.

Aalto University has participated in the project by providing the AaltoCell™ concept developed by Professor Olli Dahl's research group. The intellectual property rights of the AaltoCell™ concept belong to Aalto University.

Professor Olli Dahl.

The funding negotiations of the project between the Kemijärvi Consortium, the Ministry of Employment and the Economy and institutional funders will be launched in April–May 2015. The Kemijärvi Consortium will be represented by the Finnish Forest Centre.

24.2.2015 Spinnova Ltd. wood fibre yarn project wins biorefinery competition

Photo: Aalto University, Anni Hanén