NZ technology transforms wood

Otago Daily Times
By Allison Rudd on Wed, 9 May 2012

Claims that the main ingredients for paint, plastics, industrial alcohol, fuel and even artificial sweetener can be produced from willow trees in a single process would seem to be the stuff of science fiction. But reporter Allison Rudd discovered a Taupo-based company which has perfected the technology with the help of a New Zealand research and development team.

In 2008, Vertichem Technology general manager Kevin Snowdon was excited.

The unique triple-processing wood digester technology developed by Auckland company Genesis Research and Development had been proven and Vertichem was set to build a pre-commercial trial processing plant in New Zealand. Then came the global credit crisis, and the company's plans were put on hold.

Now, Vertichem "was coming out of a valley of death", Mr Snowdon said, and a trial plant is on the agenda again, with construction expected next year.

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