A new facility in Espoo, Finland, will turn bio-based carbon dioxide (CO2) captured from sectors such as the forest industry and waste incineration into compounds that can replace fossil raw materials in plastic products and chemicals.
Built in sea containers in the Bioruukki pilot centre by VTT, LUT University and other companies, the pilot plant stems from the partners’ Forest CUMP research project.
The project investigated how bio-based CO2 can be turned into high-value products such as polypropylene and polyethylene.
According to Juha Lehtonen, Research Professor at VTT, Finland has huge potential to be one of the leading countries in utilising bio-based CO2.
“Finland produces around 30 million tonnes of bio-based CO2 per year. If captured and converted into products, Finland could become a major producer and exporter of polymers and transport fuels made from CO2 and hydrogen,” he said.
Polypropylene and polyethylene, the most common everyday plastics, are primarily fossil-based but play a key role in sequestering carbon dioxide in durable products.
“The technology creates a significant export opportunity for renewable high-value-added products. Due to its extensive forest industry, Finland has a huge potential to utilise bio-based carbon dioxide. Outside the Nordic countries, large sources of bio-based carbon dioxide are rare,” Lehtonen added.
How is captured CO2 transformed into plastics?
Captured CO2 can be transformed into plastics through a series of chemical processes. First, the CO2 is combined with hydrogen, typically produced from water using renewable energy, to form synthesis gas (syngas).
This syngas is then converted into key chemical building blocks like ethylene and propylene using catalysts. These building blocks are essential components for producing common plastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene.
The final step is polymerisation, where the ethylene and propylene molecules are linked into long chains to create the plastic materials. This method not only helps reduce the need for fossil fuels but also provides a way to repurpose CO2, contributing to more sustainable industrial practices.
What is Forest CUMP?
In partnership with Business Finland’s Veturi ecosystem and companies like Borealis, Forest CUMP supports the green transition in the plastics industry.
“This is a significant development project to support our vision of capturing and utilising industrial carbon emissions by producing long-lasting or fully recyclable plastic products that can sequester carbon for a long time,” says Ismo Savallampifrom Borealis.
The project, part of Borealis’ SPIRIT program, has developed a process to convert flue gas CO2 into ethylene and propylene at VTT Bioruukki, the key raw materials for polyethylene and polypropylene.
This technology could be scaled for use at bio-based CO2 sources, such as forest industry and waste incineration plants.
Carbon capture in Finland
As of now, Finland has a number of pilot and demonstration plants focused on CCU, including facilities at VTT Bioruukki and other research centres.
Companies like Solar Foods are developing technologies to convert CO2 into edible proteins, such as Solein, which can be used in various food products.
The most recent reports suggest that Finland’s annual CO2 emissions are estimated to be around 46 million tonnes, including emissions from energy production, transportation and industry.
In terms of CCU, the amount of CO2 currently being captured and used in Finland is still relatively small. Estimates suggest that only a fraction of these emissions — likely in the range of a few thousand to tens of thousands of tonnes — are being captured and repurposed.
