Södra Launches Pilot Carbon Capture Project at Värö Pulp Mill to Boost Sustainability and Business

Södra is set to start a pilot project for carbon dioxide capture at its Värö pulp mill in early 2026, aiming to advance knowledge of the technology and explore new business opportunities with biogenic carbon dioxide as a raw material. This initiative forms a key part of Södra's long-term strategy to enhance the value extracted from timber, improve competitiveness, and build a more profitable and sustainable forest economy (132955, 132956).

The pilot will capture biogenic CO2 produced during pulp production, which can then be utilized across multiple industries including food production, water purification, chemical manufacturing, and construction materials such as durable building products and electrofuels. Another avenue under consideration is the permanent storage of the captured CO2 to achieve negative emissions, thereby increasing resource efficiency and contributing to climate goals.

The project will deploy technology developed by Canada-based Svante Technologies, and the research institute RISE will participate by testing the liquefaction of the captured carbon dioxide during the testing phase, allowing evaluation of the entire process from capture to liquid CO2 (132955, 132956).

Johannes Bogren, head of Södra Bioproducts, highlighted the potential of carbon capture technology to create new revenue streams and meet growing market demand for products with a low climate footprint. Jenny Gotthardsson, site manager at Södra Cell Värö, emphasized that the pilot will help build competence tailored to their operations, fostering innovation and strengthening forest profitability.

The pilot is financed through Industriklivet, an initiative under the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), part of the Next Generation EU program, demonstrating EU support for sustainable industrial innovation (132955, 132956).