A new collaborative research project by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland aims to develop and test commercially viable, sustainable alternatives for cardboard packaging, hygiene products, and non-woven fabrics under its Energy First theme.
- With a budget of around €20 million over the next four years and more than 50 industrial partners, the initiative consists of several projects and will establish a new innovative open-access pilot line in Jyväskylä, Finland.
- Under this, VTT will work on 1:1 commercial projects with companies, driving innovation in energy-efficient paper board production.
- The purpose is to bring together people, business, science and technology, paving the way to a sustainable future. The Energy First theme aims to do just that.
GOAL POST: The goal of the Energy First initiative is to act as a starting point for an entirely new technology, which creates the conditions for the manufacture of low-carbon, energy-efficient, and recyclable fibre-based products.
- This new initiative seeks to address the challenges of energy and resource consumption in the forestry and textiles industry.
THE CONTEXT: With the continued growth of, for example, global e-commerce, the demand for various fibre-based packaging solutions is projected to grow 5–10% annually, and there is a need to develop scalable, high-quality packaging that is easy to recycle while simultaneously significantly reducing carbon footprint.
- Within non-wovens, used in napkins and wipes for example, VTT expects a strong shift from traditional products that contain plastic to cellulose-based products.
- The forest industry faces new challenges, including the rising cost of energy and fiberwood scarcity. The Energy First theme seeks to overcome these hindrances to sustainable products by developing a manufacturing process with minimal water and energy usage.
- Preliminary estimates by VTT’s scientists suggest that the new manufacturing process will provide a potential reduction of up to 90% in water consumption and a significant decrease in carbon emissions. Overall, the goal is to reduce energy consumption by up to 50%.
- Products manufactured with the new process are designed to be compatible with existing recycling methods. Furthermore, fibre-based packaging is produced in a way that makes it a sustainable alternative to reusable packaging.
- The planned EU packaging and packaging directive requires that both the raw material and the manufacturing process are sustainable, and recyclable bio-based packaging solutions will have to undergo a sustainability assessment.
- In addition to reducing water and energy consumption, the project seeks to redefine the forest industry's environmental impact and enhance the competitiveness of fiber-based products. For example, by making the products lighter, more products could be produced for consumer use from the same amount of wood, which improves resource efficiency.
- The equipment for the pilot project will be supplied by Anpap Oy. Anpap designs, manufactures and supplies air-laid technology and machinery.
THE PARTNERS: The initiative is funded by EU, ERDF, VTT and the collaborating companies.
- The consortium is also actively engaging in EU projects, such as EU SteamDry, with a total budget of 9.84 million euros over 3.5 years.
- VTT will actively continue developing new projects as a part of the initiative including bilateral cooperation with industrial partners.
WHAT THEY SAID:
This new initiative is a pivotal step towards more sustainable and competitive fiber-based products, and has the potential for great impact, thanks to more than 50 industrial partners. VTT’s purpose is to bring together people, business, science and technology, paving the way to a sustainable future. The Energy First theme aims to do just that.
— Atte Virtanen
Vice President (Biomaterial Processing and Products)
VTT
We feel that the Energy First project is one of the first steps in unlocking the full potential of airlaid technology in sustainable single-use and durable product categories. Compared to wetlaid, airlaid web forming is flexible and consumes dramatically less natural resources, such as water, which reduces the environmental impact of manufacturing and while satisfying the needs of consumers.
— Tuukka Vihtakari
Chief Technology Officer
Anpap
