The SWEETWOODS project, backed by more than €20 million in CBE JU funding, brought together Estonian biorefinery technology company Fibenol and partners from Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, Latvia and Sweden to prove that hardwood residues can replace fossil-based chemicals at industrial scale. Using Fibenol's patented Sunburst™ pre-treatment technology, the project's flagship biorefinery in Imavere, Estonia, extracts high-purity Lignova® lignin and wood sugars from residual hardwood, converting more than 90% of the feedstock into valuable biomaterials. These materials can substitute bitumen in asphalt, phenol in resins and other fossil inputs across construction, materials, bioplastics, cosmetics and food applications. Commissioned in 2024, the plant now operates at technology readiness level 8 (near-final, fully commercial-scale maturity) and has become Fibenol's industrial platform for further scale-up. The biorefinery is part of a new industry that advanced an innovation hub in Estonia focused on forestry‑based chemicals and materials.
A second biorefinery, and a model to replicate it
SWEETWOODS has since become the springboard for a broader industrial rollout in the region. Fibenol is now preparing its first commercial-scale biorefinery in Latvia. The company has secured national priority investment status, giving it access to Latvia's Green Corridor fast-track services. Alongside this, the company is developing a global replication model for its Sunburst® technology, aimed at bringing regional biorefineries to areas where residual and low-quality hardwood is currently underused.
New products from the same platform
Building on the Imavere plant, the CBE JU-funded follow-on flagship project WOODCELL is scaling up production of WoodCell™, a high-purity crystalline cellulose as a performance additive designed to replace fossil-based components in packaging, coatings, paints and batteries. Fibenol's product portfolio has also broadened. This demonstrates both the technical advantages and sustainability potential of fibre-based, plastic-free alternatives, including food packaging solutions
LIGNOVA® itself has moved firmly into commercial use. The lignin-based asphalt has already been laid in road pavements across ten countries in Europe and Japan. With an EPD-certified product portfolio, it offers traceable low-carbon and net-zero road infrastructure solutions in a market still dominated by fossil-based bitumen.
Opening doors in international markets
SWEETWOODS' demonstration in Estonia has also helped Fibenol move into international markets. In Japan, the company has signed memoranda of understanding to expand LIGNOVA® and other wood-based biomaterials across Japanese and global markets, and to develop and commercialise decarbonised bio-asphalt mixtures for the Japanese market, pairing Fibenol's lignin with local asphalt expertise and testing infrastructure.
For us, innovation is not just about technology, it's about courage. It's about challenging fossil-based norms, proving that nature-based solutions can perform at scale, and making them economically viable. We stand for a mindset shift. The material and chemical industries don't have to be locked into fossil dependence. The solutions are here, proven, and scalable.
Peep Pitk, Fibenol's Chief Strategic Business Development Officer
