SunPine breaks new ground – extracts Alpha Pinene from residual products


SunPine is proud to be the frontrunner within residual product innovation. Now, they’re taking innovation one step further with a new process that allows them to extract Alpha Pinene from tall oil.

– We’re incredibly proud to be unique with this technique that leads to even less waste in production, says Valeri Naydenov, R&D manager at SunPine.

A unique patented process

Alpha Pinene (α-Pinene) is a valuable chemical compound that is commonly used in everything from flavouring agents and cosmetics, to softeners and cleaning products. It is typically manufactured synthetically or through direct extraction from pine trees – a laboursome process that impacts the environment negatively.

SunPine’s new and patented process, means that Alpha Pinene can be extracted from tall oil (a residual product from pulp mills) in a sustainable and cost-effective way. Using tall oil as a raw material for this production, means that even more of the residual product can be used.

– This breakthrough does not only make the raw material more valuable, it also creates opportunities for producing more sustainable and natural products. It’s a win-win for everyone, says Naydenov.

Positive health benefits

In addition to the aforementioned consumer products, Alpha Pinene is used to produce camphor and in broad-spectrum antibiotics. Recent studies suggest that Alpha Pinene also has many positive health benefits, ranging from soothing gastric ulcers to slowing down cancer growth. It can even improve short-time memory.

– It is a very popular and interesting product and we’re beyond excited to be able to offer a sustainable and natural alternative to those who use Alpha Pinene in their production, says Naydenov.

SunPine plans to release their Alpha Pinene on the market in 2023 and they expect a high demand from a wide range of industries. In total, SunPine is counting on being able to produce 1 000–1 300 tonnes of Alpha Pinene per year.