Sunpine extracts new residual product

This is another step in a recycling process. Pine oil is a residual product from pulp mills. And now a valuable product can also be extracted from the pine oil.

"We are incredibly proud to be the world's first with this technology, which means even less waste in our production," says Valeri Naydenov, Sunpine's Research and Development Manager.

Alpha Pinene (α-Pinene) is a chemical compound used in flavours and cosmetics, fabric softeners and detergents. It is also used to produce camphor and broad-spectrum antibiotics. Until now, synthetic variants of the product have been produced or extracted directly from pine trees through a labour-intensive and more environmentally damaging process.

"This breakthrough not only makes the raw material even more valuable, it also enables the production of more sustainable and natural products. It's a win-win for everyone," says Valeri Naydenov.

Sunpine plans to launch its Alpha Pinene on the market in 2023, anticipating high demand from a variety of industries. In total, Sunpine expects to be able to produce 1,000-1,300 tonnes of Alfa Pinene per year.

Sunpine outside Piteå produces pine diesel as a residual product from paper and pulp production. Raw pine diesel from Sunpine is blended into Preem's Evolution Diesel product. 

Sunpine is owned by the forest owners' association Södra together with the fuel company Preem, the state forest company Sveaskog and Lawter, a global chemical company.

Lennart Håkansson

editor@northswedenbusiness.com