More resource‑efficient bio‑based fibre packaging materials

Paperboard and other fibre-based materials can help replace fossil-based packaging materials. But if bio-based raw materials are to meet growing demand, they also need to be used as efficiently as possible.

Today, more than 70 per cent of global pulp production is based on chemical pulping processes, which typically achieve a yield of around 50 per cent from the wood. High-yield pulps, such as CTMP (chemi-thermomechanical pulp), can achieve yields of more than 75 per cent. This means that a larger share of the wood can be retained and used in the final product.

One challenge is that producing CTMP requires more electricity than producing chemical pulp. The project therefore focuses on developing the process to reduce energy consumption while maintaining or improving the properties of the pulp.

Developing CTMP for future packaging

The project builds on previous research and development results. These will now be validated and further developed through pilot-scale and full-scale trials.

The aim is to significantly reduce electricity consumption in the CTMP process while improving the properties of the pulp. This could enable CTMP to replace a larger share of chemical pulp in products such as paperboard.

Increasing the use of further developed CTMP could therefore contribute to a more resource-efficient chain from forest raw material to finished packaging, with the potential to use less wood to produce the same amount of packaging material.