Helsinki, Finland 30 April 2013 -- Domtar has successfully started up a commercial-scale LignoBoost™ lignin separation plant at its Plymouth, North Carolina mill, in the USA. This is the first commercial installation of a LignoBoost plant in the world and the technology is supplied by Metso.

The LignoBoost plant is integrated with the pulp mill and separates and collects lignin from the pulping liquor. This provides the Plymouth NC mill with numerous benefits. Lignin is a high-quality bio-based alternative to fossil fuel based materials. Separation of a portion of the mill’s total lignin production also off-loads the recovery boiler, and allows an increase in pulp production capacity.

Domtar’s production of BioChoice™ lignin began in February with a targeted rate of 75 tons a day. A wide range of applications and markets for BioChoice lignin are being developed including fuels, resins, and thermoplastics. Having lignin available in large quantities and high quality from the Domtar plant will help develop the future lignin market for the industry.

“The technology has been developed by Innventia in Sweden, in association with Chalmers University of Technology. Metso purchased it and is furthering the development. We continue to work together to refine the technology to develop new lignin applications in partnership for current and future customers. LignoBoost has generated a great deal of interest in the pulp & paper industry globally and this is a major breakthrough for all parties involved in this first-of-a-kind project,” says Gene Christiansen, Senior Manager, Business Development Innovations at Metso’s Power business line for North America.

Note: BioChoice is a trademark of Domtar. LignoBoost is a trademark of Metso.

Metso’s pulp, paper and power professionals specialize in processes, machinery, equipment, services, paper machine clothing and filter fabrics. Our offering and experience cover the entire process life cycle including new production lines, rebuilds and services.

Metso is a global supplier of technology and services to customers in the process industries, including mining, construction, pulp and paper, power, and oil and gas. Our 30,000 professionals based in over 50 countries contribute to sustainability and deliver profitability to customers worldwide. Metso’s shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd.