Workshop Sessions

​Doris de Guzman, Senior Consultant Bio-Materials, Tecnon OrbiChem

Market overview on forestry chemicals, materials and fuels

Forestry biomass is considered the next frontier in the quest for sustainable feedstock for chemicals, fuels, textiles and packaging materials. The circular bioeconomy is an alternative low carbon economic model based on the sustainable consumption of biological resources to produce food, feed, products and energy. Forests, while being renewable, are not infinite, and thus must be sustainably managed, recovered and reused as much as possible. Wood is a key source of biomass – a source of sugar, oils, rubber and fibers, and can therefore be turned into numerous chemicals, products, materials, and two of its oldest applications – fuel and energy. Through innovation, this ancient raw material is finding new applications in sectors traditionally held by fossil-based materials. The pace of innovation in the forest sector is expected to accelerate in the coming years to bring to market more innovative applications of wood. This presentation will present an overview of current biorefinery platforms and case studies of various plants and projects worldwide that use woody biomass and by-products of the pulp and paper industry in the production of chemicals, plastics, fuels and materials.

Amanda Young, President, Pine Chemicals Association

Pine Chemicals Association, An Introduction

The Pine Chemicals Association International (PCA) is the global trade association representing companies and organizations engaged in the pine chemicals industry. The PCA represents members from over 20 countries around the world engaged in producing, marketing or supporting pine chemical products produced from Crude Tall Oil (CTO), Crude Sulphate Turpentine (CST), oleoresin tapped from pine trees or from wood stumps. It is the only association dedicated exclusively to promoting the growth, success and sustainability of the global Pine Chemical Industry.

The Pine Chemicals industry embraces science and technology, employs a highly-skilled global workforce and exemplifies sustainable development.  The industry has continuously adapted itself over centuries and is today at the forefront of renewable bio-based industries.  Pine Chemicals are the pioneer in utilizing biomass resources to produce sustainable value add products from renewable resources. A multitude of products based on chemicals from the pine tree touch almost all spheres of our lives and are used in a wide array of consumer goods, from perfumes and cosmetics to food additives, adhesives to automobiles and printing inks to oil wells. Consumers touch, smell, and consume pine chemical products every day.  

The prolific pine tree, a plant of the genus Pinus grows on every continent except Antarctica and is the source of these products. The modern pine chemical industry is highly focused on forestry management and sustainability to maximize the long term value of the unique pine tree resource. Pine based products are made from renewable raw materials and are a long term source of intermediate chemicals needed to produce consumer products used every day by people across the world.

Patrick Foley, Co-Founder, P2 Science and Neil Burns, CEO, P2 Science (Invited)

The Beauty of the Field & Forest

In recent years there has been a dawning recognition of the global impact the materials we use have on our environment. The renewable chemicals industry already touches so many aspects of our material economy, and it remains one of the most important areas of expansion for a sustainable future. P2 Science is a green chemistry company that develops ingredients and materials made from renewable oils, including vegetable oils and terpenes. This pursuit has taught us the beauty of forest-derived materials, primarily through the turpentine value chain. Patrick will discuss the unlocked potential of this chemistry and highlight the opportunities and challenges of the supply into the future.

Larry Sullivan, Manager, Biomass Practice, Forest2Market

The Value of Resource Assessments in Project Management and Due Diligence

Innovative biochemical, biofuel, and biomass power projects have been disadvantaged in the market vs. their more entrenched competitors for two primary reasons: Reliable feedstock supply (as well as an equally reliable and robust supply chain) and feedstock pricing.  When focusing on projects utilizing forest raw materials specifically, success is driven by trustworthy and precise assessments for feedstock volumes, prices, and sensitivity analyses. Forest2Market provides a range of unique services and solutions for bioenergy, biofuels and biochemicals manufacturers and consumers. Companies in these industries rely on our data, analytics, knowledge, and insights throughout the project development process. Once they are operational, these companies rely on Forest2Market to help them understand their competitive positions in the broader market, optimize their supply chains and improve their ESG. As performance ESG priorities continue to expand, interest in renewable forest material feedstocks – as well as residuals and wood waste streams – is growing. 

While biobased chemicals produced from forest raw materials face few supply chain risks, the US EPA (under the RFS program) greatly limits the forestry pathways. This presentation will review feedstock criteria impacting both the unlimited pathways of biobased chemicals and biomass power, and the constricted pathways under the RFS.

The presentation will also review the related market drivers in the EU, North America, and Brazil that impact supply chain valuations, economics and financial analyses that are detailed in Forest2Market resource assessments. The conclusions will outline historic drivers of forest products (lumber and solid wood, pulp & paper) relative to some new drivers including biomass power and export wood pellets, advanced biofuels, and biobased chemicals.