Cascades, a multinational paper making company, just announced that it’s investing $26M in an innovative, biorefinery technology at its Norampac-Cabano facility – the extraction of hemicellulose from wood chips.

Hemicellulose, a natural polymer found in plant cell walls, is also called “cellulosic sugar.” It can be sold as a commodity or converted to advanced biofuels (ethanol) or higher-value products such as biobased chemicals.

The project was funded by a $10M investment from Natural Resources Canada’s Investments in Forest Industry Transformation program and $4.4M from the Quebec government.