NorBioLab is a national infrastructure for biorefinery research. NorBioLab is one of 40 national infrastructures in Norway. NorBioLab is the only infrastructure in the biorefinery area. NorBioLab Vision: The Norwegian biorefinery laboratory shall be the fundament for developing novel, advanced biorefinery processes at top international level, tailor-made for Norwegian conditions.

NorBioLab is to be a national infrastructure for biorefining accessible to national and international stakeholders for the development of processes for the sustainable conversion of Norwegian land and marine based biomass to novel, environmentally benign biochemicals, biomaterials and bioenergy products.

To create a sustainable bio-economy is a key policy objective in Norway. Norway has considerable land and sea-based biomass resources suitable as future raw materials for conversion to green chemicals, materials and energy carriers. NorBioLab provides the tools to develop the processes to convert these resources.

Project owner: Paper and Fibre Research Institute (PFI) Partners: Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) SINTEF Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) Time frame: 2014 2021 Investment period: 2014 2016 Follow up period: 2016-2021 Funding: Research Council of Norway (RCN) and NorBioLab partners Budget: 58 mnok (37,5 mnok from RCN)

NorBioLab adresses four central biorefinery technology platforms as defined by IEA Task 42 «Biorefining»: C6 and C6/C5 sugar conversion Platform Biogas Platform Syngas Platform Pyrolysis Oil Platform

C6 and C6/C5 sugar platform: Ia: Biomass pretreatment Standard multiple autoclave reactors Novel multiple autoclave reactors (acid proof, EX-protection) Breakdown of biomass structure preparing for further processing

C6 and C6/C5 sugar platform: Ib: Biomass pretreatment and fractionation High pressure, rapid heating displacement reactor Unique tool for developing new pretreatment processes allowing selective separation of biomass polymers (lignin, hemicelluloses, cellulose)

C6 and C6/C5 sugar platform: II: Enzymatic hydrolysis Enzyme production units Downstream processing of enzymes Hydrolysis reactors Biomass carbohydrate hydrolysis to mono sugars

C6 and C6/C5 sugar platform: IIIa: Biochemical conversion of biomass mono sugars High dry matter fermenter system with in situ separation (cell recycling, gasstripping) Fuels and value-added chemicals from biomass mono sugars

C6 and C6/C5 sugar platform: IIIb: Catalytic conversion of biomass mono sugars Autoclave reactor system for catalytic conversion Fuels and value-added chemicals from biomass mono sugars

Biogas platform: Upgrading of biogas production unit, incl. Fermenters Automation Analytical tools Conversion of organic matter/biomass (e.g. municipal, industrial, agricultural/forestry wastes) to biogas fuels

Pyrolysis oil platform: Ia: Pyrolysis Process Development Unit Special feature: Fast pyrolysis with direct vapour upgrading Biomass conversion to liquid fuels and biochemicals

Pyrolysis oil platform: Ib: Fluidized bed catalysis pyrolysis unit (FCC coprocessing reactor) Biomass conversion to liquid fuels and biochemicals

Syngas platform: Entrained Flow (EF) gasification reactor Thermal decomposition of biomass to syngas that can be further processed into green fuels and chemicals

NorBioLab coordination and operation Date Infrastructure installations completed 2016 15 international projects (e.g. EU) carried out using NorBioLab infrastructures 50 national projects/assignments carried out using NorBioLab infrastructures 50 students (MSc, PhD, postdocs)/visiting scientists using NorBioLab infrastructures 2021 2021 2021

Contact: Karin Øyaas, PFI +47 959 36 526 +47 73 60 50 65 karin.oyaas@pfi.no www.pfi.no