Forest-based value creation in Norway 83
they used to be exploited at the pulp and paper plant. Other valorisation
pathways now came into focus, such as sawmills, wood- based construction
materials, biorefinery and biofuel production. Viken Skog developed a vision
of Treklyngen creating 1,000–2,000 new jobs, replacing the lost jobs in the
forest- based industry in Southern Norway as well as over 350 jobs at Follum.
Treklyngen decided that it would not repeat the mistakes previously made by
Norske Skog during the failed Xynergo project, which aimed to produce
biodiesel: they would exploit the whole tree and not just parts of it to avoid
transport problems; they would use more mature technology than Xynergo;
and they would develop an industrial symbiosis between several firms colocated at Treklyngen and share infrastructure costs regarding transport and
energy. Treklyngen aimed to exploit the whole forest- based value chain from
the sawmills/wood- working industry to the modern wood processing industry for processing, for instance, cellulose or biofuel, but would not be in competition with Borregaard in Sarpsborg.
The market for side- streams and residues had diminished. Over the years,
wood chips guarantee instruments had been reduced gradually and at the
same time low electricity prices were critical for wood- based bioenergy.
With the closure of Follum it became difficult for forest owners to find a
market for their pulpwood: 2.6 million m
3
of pulpwood lost their domestic
market. Treklyngen planned to exploit 3–5 million m
3
timber annually in
the future, about half of today’s national felling volume. These plans would
involve complementary businesses of different sizes, exploiting all parts of
the raw material, including residues, for value creation at Follum. The forest
owners at Viken Skog and the regional sawmills dependent on Viken Skog
also had to struggle with a reduced market for their residuals because in 2013
the last pulp and paper plant in the region, Tofte, owned by Södra Cell,
closed down. The pulp mill at Tofte had processed one quarter of all Norwegian timber. Before the closure Follum delivered 100,000 solid m
3
of
wood chips a year to Tofte. After the closure the resources had to be
exported to Sweden and Germany, often at low prices. Therefore, local valorisation was paramount for the development of Treklyngen. Treklyngen
aims to exploit the whole log in an integrated process of three steps: (a) saw
logs for construction of houses, (b) collect waste and pulpwood for producing cellulose, lignin and sugar in biorefineries, (c) collect rest streams for
solid or liquid bioenergy.
Treklyngen explored different possibilities for industrial projects at Treklyngen, collaborating with: Avinor to produce bio- jetfuel, Arbaflame for a
production plant for biochar, Elkem and the energy company Vardar to
develop a new value chain for producing biochar and biooil, ST1, to build a
bioethanol plant and an international data centre.
The production of solid wooden materials for construction purposes or
for energy has been another valorisation pathway. Important projects have
been Hunton Fiber, Termowood, Saga Wood and Norwegian Firewood.
Several of these companies and start- ups have collaborated with the industry
they used to be exploited at the pulp and paper plant. Other valorisation
pathways now came into focus, such as sawmills, wood- based construction
materials, biorefinery and biofuel production. Viken Skog developed a vision
of Treklyngen creating 1,000–2,000 new jobs, replacing the lost jobs in the
forest- based industry in Southern Norway as well as over 350 jobs at Follum.
Treklyngen decided that it would not repeat the mistakes previously made by
Norske Skog during the failed Xynergo project, which aimed to produce
biodiesel: they would exploit the whole tree and not just parts of it to avoid
transport problems; they would use more mature technology than Xynergo;
and they would develop an industrial symbiosis between several firms colocated at Treklyngen and share infrastructure costs regarding transport and
energy. Treklyngen aimed to exploit the whole forest- based value chain from
the sawmills/wood- working industry to the modern wood processing industry for processing, for instance, cellulose or biofuel, but would not be in competition with Borregaard in Sarpsborg.
The market for side- streams and residues had diminished. Over the years,
wood chips guarantee instruments had been reduced gradually and at the
same time low electricity prices were critical for wood- based bioenergy.
With the closure of Follum it became difficult for forest owners to find a
market for their pulpwood: 2.6 million m
3
of pulpwood lost their domestic
market. Treklyngen planned to exploit 3–5 million m
3
timber annually in
the future, about half of today’s national felling volume. These plans would
involve complementary businesses of different sizes, exploiting all parts of
the raw material, including residues, for value creation at Follum. The forest
owners at Viken Skog and the regional sawmills dependent on Viken Skog
also had to struggle with a reduced market for their residuals because in 2013
the last pulp and paper plant in the region, Tofte, owned by Södra Cell,
closed down. The pulp mill at Tofte had processed one quarter of all Norwegian timber. Before the closure Follum delivered 100,000 solid m
3
of
wood chips a year to Tofte. After the closure the resources had to be
exported to Sweden and Germany, often at low prices. Therefore, local valorisation was paramount for the development of Treklyngen. Treklyngen
aims to exploit the whole log in an integrated process of three steps: (a) saw
logs for construction of houses, (b) collect waste and pulpwood for producing cellulose, lignin and sugar in biorefineries, (c) collect rest streams for
solid or liquid bioenergy.
Treklyngen explored different possibilities for industrial projects at Treklyngen, collaborating with: Avinor to produce bio- jetfuel, Arbaflame for a
production plant for biochar, Elkem and the energy company Vardar to
develop a new value chain for producing biochar and biooil, ST1, to build a
bioethanol plant and an international data centre.
The production of solid wooden materials for construction purposes or
for energy has been another valorisation pathway. Important projects have
been Hunton Fiber, Termowood, Saga Wood and Norwegian Firewood.
Several of these companies and start- ups have collaborated with the industry