Makron selected as the supplier for LAB Biofine’s pilot plant

The goal of the procurement is to build a modern, flexible, and safe piloting environment that supports LAB’s growing research, development, and innovation activities and strengthens LAB Biofine’s position as a development environment for the bioeconomy.

The PHWE equipment to be procured, along with its auxiliary equipment and control systems, constitutes one of the pilot plant’s key process technologies. It enables the processing of a wide variety of bio-based raw materials under precisely controlled conditions and extraction, separation, and further processing experiments on an industrial scale.

The pilot plant will be built as a modular system, allowing for the flexible development and expansion of processes.

“The pilot plant will be built as a modular system, allowing us to flexibly test and develop process chains to meet the needs of different projects and partners. The PHWE equipment is the first key building block of this system,” says laboratory coordinator Jarkko Nummela.

The project also includes the pilot plant’s infrastructure, which encompasses piping, tanks, a steam system, and other technical connections. These ensure the safe and controlled operation of the plant and enable future expansions.

The pilot plant is expected to be ready to serve its first pilot customers in early 2027.

Makron, selected through a competitive bidding process, is responsible for both the delivery of the PHWE equipment and the implementation of the infrastructure at LAB Biofine’s facilities on the Lappeenranta campus.

“This procurement strengthens LAB Biofine’s role as a developer of biomaterial solutions, a provider of piloting environments, and an enabler of industrial-scale production. It takes our expertise to a new level and accelerates our international growth,” says Janne Roslöf, Dean of Faculty of Technology at LAB.

“We will be able to serve companies more effectively in R&D, training, and service activities.”

“We are delighted to be partnering with LAB and to be able to carry out this new pilot plant project, which supports the development of biomaterial solutions. We have experience with similar development projects, and our skilled team is eager to get started on the implementation,” says Johanna Vuopala, CEO of Makron.
 

Facts about the LAB Biofine pilot plant

LAB Biofine pilot plant supports companies in scaling bio-based innovations from laboratory trials to industrial-scale processes by increasing their technology readiness level. The main methods used at the LAB Biofine pilot plant are pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) and natural deep eutectic solvents (DES).

The LAB Biofine pilot plant offers exceptional flexibility thanks to its modular process concept. Each module can operate independently or be combined into a fully integrated pilot-scale production line.

Extraction Module - Pressurized Hot Water Extraction (PHWE) 

• Reactor volume: laboratory scale 1–30 L, pilot scale 2.5 m³ 
• Maximum temperature: 200 °C 
• Maximum pressure: 20 bar(g) 
• Separation options: pre-filtration, decanter, membrane filtration

Solid-liquid separation and washing module 

• Vacuum belt filter (or equivalent) for separation and washing of solid extraction residues 
• Centrifugal separation (or equivalent) for preparing liquids for membrane and other downstream processing 

Membrane technology module

• Multi-stage membrane system for the precise separation and purification of end products

The total value of the procurement is approximately EUR 1.1 million, and the investment is co-funded by the EU’s Just Transition Fund (JTF), the City of Lappeenranta and LAB University of Applied Sciences.

For more information, please contact

LAB University of Applied Sciences / LAB Biofine
Project Manager Mikko Ojapelto, mikko [dot] ojapeltolab [dot] fi
Laboratory Coordinator Jarkko Nummela, jarkko [dot] nummelalab [dot] fi
biofine.fi

Makron Group 
CEO Johanna Vuopala, johanna [dot] vuopalamakron [dot] com