A complete value chain from forest to renewable fuel
Pyrocell is a company jointly owned by Setra and Preem. Setra has the raw material, the sawdust, while Preem has refineries and petrol stations. In Pyrocell’s pyrolysis oil plant, which is being built at Setra Kastet’s sawmill in Gävle, the sawdust will be processed into bio-oil, which can then be further processed at Preem’s refinery in Lysekil.
Pyrolysis is a process in which a substance is rapidly heated to a high temperature so that the solid material is vaporised and can be condensed into a liquid. Pyrolysis enables waste products from the forest, such as branches, roots, tops and sawdust, to be turned into oil, which can then be refined into renewable petrol and diesel.
In 2016, Setra initiated a feasibility study on bio-oil production based on the technology rapid pyrolysis.
The study was the basis for the application to Klimatklivet that was made in the spring of 2017. In the early summer, the news came that the facility had been granted SEK 117 million in investment support.
In 2018, an environmental permit was obtained.
In 2018, the company Pyrocell was formed, which is jointly owned by Setra and Preem. The company’s business concept is to produce bio-oil from sawdust.
In 2019, Setra’s and Preem’s boards decided to invest in the pyrolysis plant in Gävle.
In the summer of 2019, the construction project was staffed and procurement of a pyrolysis plant and chip handling system started.
On March 23, 2020, the first sod was taken.
On September 2, 2021, production started.
Pyrolysis oil is a dark brown liquid with a strong and slightly smoky odour and a low pH value. According to the CLP Regulation, which contains rules on the classification, labelling and packaging of chemical products, the oil is not classified as flammable or hazardous to the environment.
Pyrolysis oil can be used to replace fossil oil, for example in heating boilers in the energy sector and in industry more widely. It can also be used as raw material in chemical manufacturing or, as in the case of Pyrocell, to produce biofuels, which will play a significant role in the transition to a fossil-free transport sector.
“It feels fantastic fun that we have built a completely new factory from scratch that is now in operation. The first oil has been produced and we are very proud of the plant” says Anders Wigstein, production manager at Pyrocell.
Pyrocell’s facility is located at Setra Kastet sawmill in Gävle. There, sawdust, which is a residual product in Setra’s industrial process, is converted into non-fossil pyrolysis oil. The pyrolysis oil is then refined into renewable diesel and petrol at Preem’s refinery in Lysekil. Pyrocell is a unique industrial investment that enables a sustainable value chain from forest to tank. We are replacing fossil fuels and contributing to an increased share of renewables in fuels that result in lower carbon dioxide emissions, says Pontus Friberg, working chairman of Pyrocell.
The plant will produce around 25,000 tonnes of non-fossil pyrolysis oil per year, corresponding to approximately 17,000 passenger cars’ annual fuel consumption.
For more details: www.setragroup.com
