Keijo Hytönen, General Manager of the Oulu Site (right) welcomed the Chief Operating Officer of Origin by Ocean, Heikki Heiskanen to the Chempolis facilities
The algae refining company Origin by Ocean has started piloting its operations in collaboration with Chempolis. At Chempolis demonstration plant in Oulu, Origin by Ocean is able to produce various bio-based alternatives from different algae, such as sargassum and domestic bladderwrack. By utilizing the established expertise and infrastructure of Chempolis, the company can develop their processes and reach their targets at a faster pace.
− I believe the best chemical engineers in Finland are found in Oulu. The technical competence of Chempolis about biorefinery processing is truly rare in Europe and especially here in Finland. When we can source the special know-how from outside, instead of being forced to acquire it into our internal team, things work out a lot quicker and more efficiently for us, elaborates Mari Granström, CEO of Origin by Ocean.
− The cooperation with Chempolis is highly valuable for us, as it saves us both time and resources. If we would need to build our own piloting facility, we would be facing a long project and an investment costing us tens of millions.
Established in 2019, the Finnish-based start-up strives to have their first industrial production facility built by 2026. The piloting at Chempolis facilities will enable Origin by Ocean to increase their current product output from tens of kilos to thousands of kilos, further accelerating the road from laboratory to large-scale commercialisation. The pilot is beneficial to both parties.
− Our collaboration is a great example of how a pilot built for Chempolis core fractionation technology can actually be used to pilot another technology. At the same time, the long term-term experience of Chempolis helps Origin by Ocean in their journey and we can also learn from each other and speed up our collective development, emphasizes Heli Antila, Chairman of the Board at Chempolis.
The collaboration between Origin by Ocean and Chempolis began in 2022. The aim of the collaboration was to perform the piloting of patented biorefinery processes. However, the two parties are committed to continue the cooperation after the initial piloting activities.
Read more about the topic from recent news articles:
Helsingin Sanomat 7.6.2023: Levät ovat uhka merille. Mari Granström keksi, miten niistä saa raaka-aineita jokapäiväisiin tuotteisiimme. – HS Visio | HS.fi (only for subscribers, in Finnish)
Kemiamedia 7.6.2023: Origin by Ocean aloitti pilotoinnin Oulussa – ensimmäinen levätuotetehdas valmis vuonna 2026 – Kemiamedia (in Finnish)
For further information, please contact:
Heli Antila, Chairman of the Board
Chempolis Oy, tel. +358 40 571 7188
heli.antila@chempolis.com