“We are all working very hard to maintain our world-wide lead in NCC [nanocrystalline cellulose] research and development. With its three kilograms per day, this small pilot plant will still be producing the largest quantity of NCC in the world”, declared Pierre Lapointe, President and Chief Executive Officer of FPInnovations. “We are building the future of the forest industry by focusing on the research and development of new applications, innovative products and new markets, and we will get there one success at a time”, concluded Lapointe.

FPInnovations (located in Pointe-Claire, Québec) is (from their Strength in Unity webpage) “the world’s largest private, not-for-profit forest products research institute” and they’ve just opened new NCC research facilities. From the May 30, 2011 news item on Nanowerk,

FPInnovations has announced today’s inauguration of its new NanoCrystalline Cellulose (NCC) research facilities, which consist of a state-of-the-art pilot plant, new high-performance equipment for the Québec City laboratory and two new research laboratories located at Pointe-Claire. The Pointe-Claire laboratories are dedicated primarily to NCC chemistry, as well as to NCC and nanocomposites characterization. The new laboratory equipment in Québec City is being used in the development of advanced wood materials in the appearance, structural and composite wood products sector. The cost of the construction of the facilities and the acquisition of the research equipment amounts to $4.1 million. This investment has been made possible thanks to the financial participation of the Ministère du Développement économique, de l’Innovation et de l’Exportation du Québec for 80% of the expenses and, Natural Resources Canada, for 20%, under its Transformative Technologies Program (TT). The project will make it possible to retain 11 full-time scientists and technicians dedicated to NCC research.

I believe I mentioned the state-of-the-art pilot plant in my July 16, 2010 posting***), when FPInnovations announced a joint venture company with Domtar to build a ‘demonstration’ plant producing one metric ton per day of commercial-scale NCC in Windsor, Québec. 

It sounds very grand to me “… building the future of the forest industry …” and frankly I’d be just as happy if the technology is safe and people get jobs.

***ETA August 23, 2011: The FPInnovations Domtar plant featured in my July 16, 2010 posting is expected to produce one metric ton of  NCC per day when it is completed and operational.

* Nov. 27, 2013: Corrected headline, changed ‘reseach’ to ‘research’.