Sappi Opens New Demo Plant for Biomaterials Expansion

In South Africa, Sappi has a new demo plant up and running at its Ngodwana mill in Mpumulanga to strengthen and grow their business and global competitiveness. Sappi, a global pulp and paper producer, is partnering with Valmet, a Finland-based pulp and paper technology supplier, on the demo plant. The plant will focus on improving renewable sugar extraction. Sappi’s goal is to expand into renewable biomaterials, test new ideas, and optimize what they get from existing production, including their current dissolving wood pulp manufacturing. Sappi also plans on growing their lignin and biotech businesses by using the demo plant as a way to extract more from the pulp production process for new and existing products such as biocomposites, biochemicals, and nanocellulose.