May 26, 2025, Oji Paper--Time to Brew the Memory of the Forest

May 26, 2025, Oji Paper--Time to Brew the Memory of the Forest

The pilot plant completed by Oji Paper is no longer just a paper mill. There, tree fibers are transformed, not into paper, but into a new life form of ethanol with the help of microorganisms. Leaving the conventional path of paper, Oji Paper has ventured into an uncharted area called "bio manufacturing. The company is trying to draw a future that does not rely on fossil resources by evoking the memory of the sun in woody biomass with the help of enzymes and fermentation.

The process is like alchemy. Wood is broken down and converted into sugar, which is then fermented by microorganisms to yield ethanol. Oji Paper, however, is looking further afield. The company is looking beyond fuels to high-value-added materials such as bioplastics, pharmaceuticals, and rare sugars. This is not simply a matter of extending the life of the business. This is another industrial revolution in which forestry resources are beginning to take on new value.

Instead of paper, wood now speaks the language of science and the story of the future.