Aims

The main aim of AFORE is to develop novel, industrially adaptable and techno-economically viable solutions for the separation, fractionation, and primary upgrading of valuable chemical components from forest residues, wood chips, and chemical pulping liquors to be used as starting materials for current and novel value-added applications. AFORE strongly targets to demonstration of most potential technologies while concurrently novel process and product openings are search for. It is expected that AFORE enables European forest and pulping industry to substantially increase its profitability and overall income with concomitant positive impact on the sustainability of the processes.

AFORE will focus on two approaches:

A) Upgrading the current kraft pulping process into a multi-product biorefinery concept without compromising the process energy balance or the fibre properties, and

B) Development of entirely new wood-based biorefinery concepts, in which the wood cellulose is exploited in value-added applications with simultaneous production of a multitude of novel non-cellulosic products.