Hemicellulose based integrated forest biorefineries: Implementation strategies

Integrated forest biorefineries have been proposed as a viable option for the transformation of lignocellulosic biomass into a wide spectrum of profitable products for the pulp and paper industry. Hemicelluloses, a class of wood components can be extracted from a Kraft pulping process prior to chemical pulping and transformed by means of chemical and biochemical processes into biofuels, biochemical and biomaterials. The objective of this study is to identify the opportunities and challenges for implementing hemicelluloses based biorefineries in the context of the Canadian forest industry. The modifications required at the receptor mill, the selection of the target products based on geographical location and the potential collaboration with other industrial stakeholders to form a cluster were analyzed. Practical guidelines for developing an integrated forest biorefinery have been proposed; the results can be applied to biorefinery development proposals.