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Scientists Develop Technique to Transform CO2 from Forestry into Plastics. Initiative Can Reduce Emissions and Generate Sustainable Materials
Scientists from Finland have found a way to transform carbon dioxide released by the forestry industry into raw materials for everyday plastics. The discovery was made through a three-year research project involving the VTT Technical Research Centre and LUT University.
The research demonstrated that it is possible to capture CO₂ produced during the incineration of waste from the forestry industry and convert it into polyethylene and polypropylene. These two materials are widely used in the manufacture of plastics, such as packaging and household utensils.
Today, polyethylene and polypropylene are mostly produced from fossil sources. However, the Finnish proposal aims to change this logic. The goal is to use renewable sources without requiring drastic changes in existing factories.
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CO₂ Conversion: Infrastructure Adaptation Is Key for Replacement
According to Professor Juha Lehtonen from VTT, researchers analyzed how to adapt the biogenic CO₂ recovery chain to existing petrochemical plants. For him, this is essential for quickly replacing fossil fuels with renewable sources.
“We investigated through pilot activities and modeling how the biogenic carbon dioxide recovery chain can be adapted to existing petrochemical plants and the production of essential basic plastics. For a rapid and significant replacement of fossil raw materials with renewables, technologies need to be adapted to currently existing production facilities,” said Juha Lehtonen.
The project, called Forest CUMP, studied different technologies to produce these raw materials from CO₂ and green hydrogen. The central idea is simple: if the process can fit into the current infrastructure, the replacement will be faster and cheaper.
Low-Temperature Fischer-Tropsch Process Gains Importance
One highlight of the study is the low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch process. According to Lehtonen, it has proven promising from both a technical and economic standpoint.
With this process, Fischer-Tropsch naphtha can be produced, which can be used directly as an input in plastic manufacturing.
This adaptation avoids the need for large investments. Lehtonen explained that other routes, such as methanol production or high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch process, would require new facilities, making the process more expensive and time-consuming.
Nordic Region Has Advantage with Concentrated Biogenic CO₂
Another important point of the project is the role of Nordic countries. The region, especially Finland, has large reserves of biogenic CO₂.
This type of carbon dioxide comes from renewable sources, such as wood, and is available in abundance and concentrated form, which is rare in other parts of Europe.
Kaija Pehu-Lehtonen, project manager of the forestry industrial conglomerate Metsä Group, highlighted that this source of CO₂ could help create new value chains. Additionally, she sees this opportunity as a way to reduce dependence on fossil raw materials.
During the Forest CUMP project, practical and experimental tests were conducted. These tests provided a clearer view of how captured CO₂ can be used as a basis for plastic production.
Energy Potential and Focus on Durable Products
Finland also has an energy infrastructure prepared to support this transition. The country has the potential to produce green hydrogen on a large scale. This is possible due to the use of water electrolysis with renewable energy.
To give an idea of the energy impact, research indicates that transforming 10 million tons of biogenic CO₂ into renewable products would require about 60 TWh of renewable electricity. This represents approximately 70% of Finland’s annual electricity consumption.
With the same amount of CO₂, it would be possible to produce 3 million tons of diesel — equivalent to the country’s annual consumption. Finland has about 30 million tons of biologically sourced CO₂, showing the potential for industrial-scale production.
However, the focus of the Forest CUMP project is not to produce fuel. Instead, the goal is to capture biogenic CO₂ and use it in durable products, such as plastics. The study concludes that this strategy could be a viable alternative to reduce the use of fossil raw materials.
With information from Interesting Engineering.
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