Utilizing biogas as a raw material in the production is both a step forward in minimizing the environmental impact and a return to the roots as pioneers of chemistry based on chemical components derived from wood gasification. 

“Our history in the production of chemicals from bio-based raw materials goes back over 100 years,” says Lars Lind, Vice President Business Development at Perstorp. “Now, considering the limited availability, rising costs and environmental impact associated with fossil fuels, we are both strongly motivated and well prepared to revisit and apply modern technology to our bio-based chemistry roots.”

Perstorp is supporting the development of the biogas industry and initiatives to build biogas production sites, by providing justification as a potential biogas customer and potentially co-sharing a biogas production site. The company has also worked closely with other key players to issue a White Paper to Swedish authorities on how the chemical and fuel industry can utilize biogas.

“We use approximately 100,000 tonnes of natural gas annually, as a raw material to make roughly 25% of the molecules in our specialty chemicals,” Lind explains. “Our initial goal is to replace 25% of the natural gas we use today with biogas.”

Biogas is a renewable raw material that is produced in two ways: either through the microbiological decomposition of agricultural and municipal waste, or through the gasification cellulose from wood chips, pellets or plant wastes such as low-value wood fiber waste not used by the pulp and paper industry, and from crops grown for this purpose on land not suitable for food production.

Biogas can be blended with natural gas and is used exactly the same way, meaning it does not require any adaptation of Perstorp’s production or equipment. This also makes it possible to use the Swedish natural gas grid for collecting and transporting the gas to the production site, under the same principle as renewable energy is being fed into the energy grid today. This is called “The Green Gas Principle” and it is key to the development of the biogas industry that it is enabled.

“In addition to minimizing the environmental impact of our own production, the advantages of biogas-based chemicals work down the value chain to help our customers shrink the lifecycle footprint of their products, such as paints, coating and plastics, and the end products they enhance,” Lars Lind, concludes.