Innovation Norway has allocated NOK 15 million in support of building a
demonstration plant for the development of fiber composite production at Norske
Skog Saugbrugs. This will accelerate the on-going development work to
industrialize the production of a new type of biocomposite, which can be
included in furniture, packaging and car interiors. Norske Skog Saugbrugs will
develop sustainable solutions related to plastic raw materials, fiber blending,
technology development and testing of biocomposites.
 
- We want to contribute to reduced plastic consumption by creating new, green
products with significantly reduced carbon footprint, and find good solutions to
recycle significantly more plastic than today. The plant is crucial for
accelerating the industrialization of new sustainable, bio-based products, says
CEO Kjell-Arve Kure at Norske Skog Saugbrugs.

Norske Skog Saugbrugs is now well under way with the development of finding
solutions to problems related to plastic raw materials, fiber blending,
technology development and testing of biocomposites. The demonstration facility
will be a prerequisite in the further development work to succeed.

The biocomposite consists of fiber from spruce, produced at Saugbrugs' plant,
which together with thermoplastic is mixed and delivered as pellets to the
plastics industry to produce various products such as furniture, car interiors,
pipes, building materials, consumables, packaging etc. The use of recycled
thermoplastic is also an important part of the on-going development work. The
new innovation provides a biocomposite, which replaces plastic, reduces fossil
CO2 emissions, reduces oil consumption, provides better resource utilization
through increased use of recycled and renewable raw materials.

- The potential for reducing CO2 emissions is significant in this project. It is
also important to develop products that will be in great demand. The use of
recycled plastic and the development of recyclable biocomposites can be an
important step in approaching a more circular economy. The company has both the
ability and the will to implement this demanding technology development, and it
will be exciting to follow the development further, says Kristin Willoch Haugen,
regional director for Innovation Norway in Oslo and Viken

About Norske Skog Saugbrugs
Norske Skog Saugbrugs has 450 employees, turnover of approximately NOK 2.0
billion, and production capacity of 330 000 tonnes (as of 1. January 2021) SC
magazine paper targeting markets in Europe and North-America. Saugbrugs produces
2.7 million normal cubic metres of biogas annually.

 
For further information

Norske Skog media:
Vice President Corporate Communication and Public Affairs
Carsten Dybevig
carsten.dybevig@norskeskog.com
Mob: +47 917 63 117
Twitter: @Norske_Skog

Norske Skog investor relations:
Investor Relations Manager
Even Lund
even.lund@norskeskog.com
Mob: +47 906 12 919

Innovation Norway:
Director Innovation Norway Oslo and Viken
Kristin Willoch Haugen
kristin.willoch.haugen@innovasjonnorge.no 
Mob: +47 901 19 202