Swedish Forest Owners Association and industry major Södra has announced that it has decided to divest its share in Silva Green Fuel AS, an advanced biofuel demonstration joint venture project in Tofte, Norway with Norway-headed energy utility major Statkraft ASA to Statkraft.
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According to a statement, biorefineries play a key role in Södra’s strategy and the aim is to implement future commercialization in Southern Sweden.
Silva Green Fuel was founded in 2015 by Södra (49 percent) and Statkraft (51 percent), with the aim of developing a method for bio-oil production.
Silva’s demo facility in Tofte, Norway, has succeeded in producing bio-oil from forest biomass, thereby contributing to an important step towards tomorrow’s liquid biofuels.
As this development now enters a new phase, Södra’s commercial assessment is that other partners need to step in.
南的专长在于林业,从事工业ial processes to extract sustainable products from forest raw material. Through the collaboration around Silva, we succeeded in finding a method for converting forest biomass into bio-oil, which is important progress. Södra believes firmly in the technique and, in line with our strategy, we see good opportunities for implementing future commercialization in Götaland (Sweden), said Catrin Gustavsson, President of the Södra Innovation business area.
In 2015, Södra sold the industrial site at its former pulp mill in Tofte to Statkraft. The agreement means that Södra is now also selling its 49-percent stake in Silva Green Fuel to Statkraft, which will continue to run the company.
Bioenergy and biochemicals are a strategic growth area for Södra and will remain a priority when the share in Silva has been sold. Södra sees major potential in technologies that will upgrade forest by-products such as bark, branches, and treetops.
A future priority will be the ability to implement future commercialization of biorefinery to its existing industrial structure in southern Sweden.