The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) has announced having found a breakthrough decarbonisation technology called “deep eutectic solvents” (DES) a brand new technology which, at low temperatures, breaks biomass down into constituent parts that can then be used in the paper and pulp industries.
If used on a large scale this technology could radically change pulp and paper production and replace some of the most energy intensive parts of the current process. While exhibiting remarkable results at the laboratory scale, DES will have to be further researched and developed.
The discovery stems from the Two Team Project, a year-long competition, which brought together scientists, companies, suppliers and outsiders to identify viable concepts that would help the industry achieve its decarbonisation objectives. The winner was announced on 27 November, at European Paper Week 2013.
Teresa Presas, CEPI Director General, said: “While we have announced a winner, we are confident that all the shortlisted concepts have an important role to play. We believe the teams have found the key to the largest industrial breakthroughs in decades in our industry. Now policy must be developed to support the development of these technologies”. Policymakers once thought targets could be met with existing technology and behavioural change. That is wrong. Breakthrough technologies are needed to meet low carbon targets.”
References:
http://www.cepi.org/topic/innovation/pressrelease/twoteamproject
http://www.unfoldthefuture.eu/uploads/report_final_for_emailing_latestv08.pdf
http://twoteam.unfoldthefuture.eu
