CMPC: Low Water, Blue Stain-Free Wood Challenge
CMPC was looking for solutions to help fight the blue staining in wood caused by the Ceratocystis Pilífera fungus.
CHALLENGE LAUNCH: JULY 2023
Low Water, Blue Stain-Free Wood Challenge
CMPC, one of the biggest worldwide pulp and paper companies, sought innovative solutions to reduce water use (or eliminate it completely).
They need this clean technology to help fight the blue staining in wood caused by Ceratocystis Pilífera fungus. This stain is historically prevented with high water use throughout the processing stage. Thanks to the impressive solutions put forward by the Challenge Winners, CMPC will be able to make strides towards their ambitious goals of reducing water use, emissions, and landfill waste.
The Opportunity
As a global leader in the shift from a linear to a circular economy, CMPC recognized the importance of optimizing its processes. One of the primary goals of CMPC's 2030 strategy was to reduce water consumption in its operations.
A significant water-consuming operation involved preventing blue stain caused by the Ceratocystis Pilífera fungus in radiata pine logs stored during the summer. The only way to prevent the fungus was by watering the logs, as once the blue stain appeared, it could not be removed and would affect the end product.
CMPC sought alternatives to prevent and reduce the growth of this blue stain fungus while minimizing water use.
The prize was the opportunity to co-create a pilot proposal with CMPC to potentially implement the winning technology in their yards. If the technology had not been tested with this fungus, CMPC would conduct tests in their labs, and if successful, co-create a pilot proposal with the team.
The Partner
CMPC produces and commercializes products based on pulp, paper, wood, and tissue. The company was born in 1920 with the production of papers and cardboards, and today commercializes its products through its three main businesses: Pulp, Biopackaging and Softys, reaching more than 26,700 direct clients around the world.
CMPC has 49 industrial plants in nine countries in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, the United States, and Uruguay. Its worldwide presence reaches 12 countries, including three commercial offices in the USA, Germany, and China; and an innovation office in Finland.
Their corporate purpose —We create the natural fibre for a better future— is integral to the company's way of doing business and guides its actions and operations towards a sustainable future on a day-to-day basis.
Challenge Background & Considerations
Sustainability is core to CMPC's operations and business. They have ambitious goals for reducing water use, emissions, and landfill waste. CMPC was looking for new technologies, processes, and businesses that can help prevent the appearance of the blue stain fungus and produce an exportable pulp product while reducing the amount of water required.
A successful solution:
1
Prevents the appearance of the blue stain fungus
2
Reduces or eliminates water use
3
Comes with a competitive price point
4
Is compatible with CMPC's pulp mill operations
Evaluation & Eligibility:
Key assessment and eligibility criteria include:
- Feasibility
- Scalability
- Cost-effectiveness
- Compatibility with CMPC's current facilities
- Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4+
CMPC is open to solutions that will be tested in their labs.
WINNERS ANNOUNCED: OCTOBER 2023
The Challenge Winners
The challenge received seven applications, of which one was disqualified for being ineligible. The remaining six eligible submissions came from Canada (4) and New Zealand (2). These eligible applications entered the review process, and five presented their solutions in September, 2023. They were:
- Inhibit Coatings Ltd: Inhibit Coatings develops high-performing antimicrobial additives and coatings to protect your assets against attack from microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi. The patented technology delivers an environmentally friendly coating that can be integrated into the desired stage of the pulp manufacturing process and applied through a range of practical methods.
- NexGen Ecoatings, Inc.: NexGen is the only non-toxic, eco-friendly, low-water single-coat liquid application proven to prevent Ceratocystis Pilifera (as well as rot, mold, insect damage, and fire protection) on all wood substrates and wood species. NexGen has been used effectively on wood products and wood structures around the world since 2003.
- Nutrienvisus Technologies Inc.: Nutrienvisus Technologies Inc offers customized-Enviotics to tackle a specific need in agriculture and forestry sectors. They have designed our formulation to eliminate Ceratocystis Polifera by using selected environmental probiotics from their library. They use a competitive exclusion strategy that will cause C. Polifera to disappear by a shortage of nutrients and available space, as well as a slower doubling time.
- Scion Research: The team utilizes an integrated approach using a novel naturally mutated albino strain of Trichoderma harzianum (BCA) in conjunction with low molecular weight chitosan for sapstain control on fresh wood. The results show the chitosan/BCA treatment system protected radiata pine wood more effectively than the use of chitosan or BCA alone. Their novel integrated method is has the potential to be applied in a forest, at the sites where logs are harvested possibly through a spray system attached to a harvester head.
- WaterPuris Inc.: The ozone nanobubble technology is a sustainable and novel solution designed to address challenges in wood preservation, including preventing the growth of Ceratocystis Pilífera fungus responsible for blue staining in radiata pine logs. Utilizing the unique properties of nanobubbles, this solution infuses water with ozone, a powerful oxidizing agent, to create nanosized bubbles that can absorb onto wood surfaces and penetrate into wood structures.
After the pitch sessions, CMPC selected the three winners of the challenge: Inhibit Coatings Ltd, NexGen Ecoatings, and WaterPuris.
UPDATED: FEBRUARY 2024
Outcomes
CMPC was very pleased with the challenge results. Two out of the three winners, Inhibit Coatings Ltd and NexGen Ecoatings, presented their proof of concept proposals to them.
CMPC is working with the Department of Agriculture in Chile to get approval to import the chemical coating technologies for piloting. The agricultural sector is heavily regulated, and the approval process could take a couple of years, depending on the nature of the coatings.
Quotes
The management of water resources is a priority at CMPC. We are delighted that the challenge identified technologies that can reduce our water usage while maintaining the high quality of our products. Congratulations to our winners, and thank you to all the applicants who took the time to present their interesting solutions. We are looking forward to testing the winners' technologies and potentially co-creating a pilot opportunity with them.
Sebastián Corthorn Innovation Leader, CMPC
Water is by far our planet’s most precious resource. If we are going to meet global sustainability targets and create a liveable future for generations to come, we must protect it. We are extremely proud to have supported CMPC to find solutions that reduce water usage and accelerate them towards their ambitious climate goals — we can’t wait to see the impact of these impressive solutions.
Jeanette Jackson CEO, Foresight
This challenge has opened a door into a new industry (pulp and paper) for Inhibit Coatings. The opportunity to work collaboratively with CMPC will allow us to work through some unique challenges in this industry. We look forward to overcoming these challenges to make an environmentally friendly, practical and cost-effective solution, accelerating the launch of our antifungal coatings into the real world.
Eldon Tate CEO, Inhibit Coatings Ltd.
We found the experience to be very positive. We appreciate the fact that CMPC is actively looking for alternatives to the traditional methods for protecting fibrous substrates from certain strands of mould that create negative impact on our industry. It is through opportunities like this that companies with innovative products can get them into the market and affect change in a meaningful manner.
Robert Seaman President & CEO, NexGen Ecoatings, Inc.
This Innovation Challenge was a thought-provoking experience that helped the team understand some of the water sustainability challenges for CMPC and the pulp and paper industry. WaterPuris had the opportunity to articulate the benefits of nanobubble technology and quantify the potential for positive economic and environmental impact. The Challenge will help us accelerate our technology by allowing us to pilot our technology with customers in various industries and gain valuable feedback to improve from the prototype stage to commercialization.
Robert Liang Co-founder, WaterPuris Inc.
This Challenge is presented as a part of Foresight's bioNEXT program, powered by CMPC and Genome BC.
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