Raízen, Vertoro to upgrade lignin

The Brazilian cellulosic ethanol maker Raízen is partnering with the Dutch firm Vertoro on a project to develop chemicals and fuels from lignin, a by-product of papermaking and other processes that use cellulose. The partners will use Vertoro’s process of blending lignin with methanol and ethanol to yield a raw material for chemicals and sustainable aviation and marine fuels. In a press release, the partners call the effort the world’s most substantial endeavor to derive value from lignin. And Raízen aims to have a lot of the material available: it expects seven announced and two operating cellulosic ethanol plants to produce 1.5 million metric tons of lignin per year.