Nova Biochem joins LignoCity to scale up green chemistry innovation

Publicerat 18 November, 2025

UK-based startup Nova Biochem is currently preparing to establish a pilot plant at LignoCity in Bäckhammar. An important step in the company’s efforts to commercialise its sustainable chemical technology.

SPLENDOR, coordinated by Ghent University, aims to demonstrate a one-step, zero-waste process for converting black liquor – a residual stream from pulp production – into high-value aromatic compounds such as vanillin and syringol. The process is designed to be fully integrated into existing pulp mills, requiring no pretreatment, additives, or catalysts.

Nova Biochem contributes to the project by scaling up its proprietary water-based depolymerization technology, which breaks down lignin under high pressure and temperature. The company’s pilot at LignoCity will validate the process in a real-world industrial setting, paving the way for bio-based alternatives to petrochemicals in sectors like plastics, adhesives, and fragrances.

– Establishing our pilot at LignoCity is a strategic milestone. It gives us access to the infrastructure and expertise needed to move our technology from lab to industrial scale, says Alexander Novitskiy, CEO of Nova Biochem.

With SPLENDOR as a launchpad and RISE as a research partner, Nova Biochem is positioning itself as a new player in Sweden’s bioeconomy – contributing to climate goals and the transition to fossil-free chemistry.

The photo shows Nova Biochem employees Emre Demirkaya and Alexander Novitskiy with LignoCity’s Johnny Westholm and Robert Gustavsson.