Banca dati dei progetti dei PSR
A New Bio-composite Production Line in Finland
Summary
EAFRD funding supported the creation of a production line for bio-composite products with excellent physical and environmental performance exploiting locally available organic raw material, peat.
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Background
Surface peat can be processed to develop bio-based composite materials for example for the manufacture of consumer products and construction materials, at the same time reducing the use of oil-based raw materials. The advantages of peat-based composite products are their low cost, water resistance, impact strength, excellent fire endurance and biodegradability. Peat is available in considerable quantities in Finland but this abundant resource (often mixed with wood) is mostly burned to produce heat and electricity.
Objective
The objective of the project was the establishment of a company in the municipality of Karvia, a peat-production area, for the exploitation of peat fibres and the production of bio-composite materials. The project idea moved from preliminary tests run in collaboration with research institutes and university in order to optimise the specific properties of the peat fibre and develop new ecological products for oil absorption, insulation and shape-pressed applications (blankets, sheets, etc).
Main activities
The investments supported by the EAFRD fundamentally allowed Konto Ltd. to start production of high quality environment-friendly products based on peat natural fibres. Funding was used to install a new bio-composite production line. Product testing was done in parallel by the company allowing the consequent fine-tuning of the installed equipment.
Results & Benefits
Today the company is well-established in the production of bio-based insulation and oil absorption products with the potential to cover other market segments. As far as environmental performance is concerned, recycling is fully taken into account in the production process as all surplus raw material is reused at the factory. The new production line created new jobs and brought more investments and expertise into the area. Connections were also created with up- and down-stream businesses.
Lessons learnt
EAFRD support made possible launching a new business exploiting a local, largely available natural resource in an innovative way. The choice of the company location was a success factors as from the point of view of raw material availability Karvia and the surrounding municipalities are well-known peat producers.
Project location and other information
Province of Western Finland
Region
Satakunta
RDP Territory
Mainland
Total project cost (€)
524 008
EAFRD contribution (€)
80 881
National contribution (€)
98 854
Private contribution (€)
344 273
Project website
Contact name
Miika Laitila
Telephone
+358 400 569 099
Languages for contact
Finnish
Document attachment
At a glance
Country
Finland
Final beneficiary type
Non-farm or non-forest entreprises
Budget range
> €500 000
Start date:
26/02/2009
End Date:
31/07/2011
Theme / Measure:
Rural Quality of Life & Economic Diversification
Rural economic diversification
312. Support for business creation and development
Keywords:
By-product, Reuse, Consumer goods, Entrepreneurship, Natural fibre
Last update
19/06/2014