Most vanillin today is synthesized from petrochemicals. Spero Energy uses a proprietary catalytic process to "unlock" the aromatic monomers within wood lignin. By breaking down the complex lignin polymer into specific molecules like dihydroeugenol and vanillin, the project provides a sustainable, plant-based alternative to fossil-fuel-derived fragrances, effectively turning timber industry waste into high-value olfactory ingredients.
Wood chips are subjected to a catalytic depolymerization process. This selective chemical pathway breaks the strong ether bonds in lignin without destroying the aromatic rings. The resulting mixture is fractionated and purified to isolate specific scent molecules. This "Lignin-to-Value" pathway ensures that the cellulose remains intact for paper production, maximizing the total value of the biomass.
Licella uses a world-first Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) platform to transform woody biomass into stable bio-crude oil. Unlike traditional pyrolysis which requires dry feedstock, HTL uses "super-critical" water to chemically reorganize wood shavings and sawdust into high-energy liquid. This bio-crude can be dropped into existing refinery infrastructure to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel.
Woody waste is mixed with water to form a slurry. This slurry is processed through the Cat-HTL™ reactor at high pressure and temperature. The supercritical water acts as a solvent and catalyst, breaking the biomass into a liquid bio-crude while separating out minerals. The result is a renewable oil that is significantly more energy-dense than solid wood.
In the traditional perfume industry, petals are discarded after a single distillation. This project upcycles these "exhausted" rose petals and wood pulp residues through a second extraction or bio-fermentation. By utilizing the remaining aromatic compounds that are usually wasted, the project creates "circular fragrances" that have a lower environmental impact and a unique, deep profile that standard distillations cannot achieve.
Exhausted rose petals are collected from primary distilleries. They are subjected to a secondary solvent extraction or CO2 extraction to capture the heavier molecular compounds. Wood pulp waste is processed through enzymatic hydrolysis to release woody aromatic terpenes. The resulting oils are blended to create premium, upcycled fragrance bases.
