![Borregaard 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Borregaard_01.JPG)
Borregaard is a
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
company, established in 1889 in the southeastern town of
Sarpsborg
Sarpsborg ( or ), historically Borg, is a city and municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sarpsborg.
Sarpsborg is part of the fifth largest urban area in Norway when paired with neigh ...
in
Østfold
Østfold is a traditional region, a former county and a current electoral district in southeastern Norway. It borders Akershus and southwestern Sweden (Västra Götaland County and Värmland), while Buskerud and Vestfold are on the other side ...
county. Its main products were traditionally
pulp and paper. The company later started producing
chemicals
A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Some references add that chemical substance cannot be separated into its constituent elements by physical separation methods, i.e., wit ...
based on
timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...
as a raw material. After a
takeover
In business, a takeover is the purchase of one company (the ''target'') by another (the ''acquirer'' or ''bidder''). In the UK, the term refers to the acquisition of a public company whose shares are listed on a stock exchange, in contrast to ...
in 1986, Borregaard was part of the chemical division of the
Orkla Group
Orkla ASA is a Norwegian conglomerate operating in the Nordic region, Eastern Europe, Asia and the US. At present, Orkla operates in the branded consumer goods, aluminium solutions and financial investment sectors. Orkla ASA is listed on the Os ...
until it was spun off and introduced to the Oslo Stock Exchange in October 2012. It had 1050 employees in 2016.
The company's core business is based on a
Biorefinery
A biorefinery is a refinery that converts biomass to energy and other beneficial byproducts (such as chemicals). The International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 42 defined biorefining as "the sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of bio ...
that manufactures products based on the different components in wood. Important products are speciality
cellulose
Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of β(1→4) linked D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important structural component of the primary cell w ...
,
lignin products (
lignosulphonates),
bio ethanol
Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl ...
,
yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constit ...
and
yeast extract
Yeast extracts consist of the cell contents of yeast without the cell walls; they are used as food additives or flavorings, or as nutrients for bacterial culture media. They are often used to create savory flavors and umami taste sensations, ...
s and lignin based
vanillin
Vanillin is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a phenolic aldehyde. Its functional groups include aldehyde, hydroxyl, and ether. It is the primary component of the extract of the vanilla bean. Synthetic vanillin is now u ...
. The company also produces ethyl vanillin, diphenols and fine
chemical
A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Some references add that chemical substance cannot be separated into its constituent elements by physical separation methods, i.e., w ...
s.
History
The name "Borregaard" was connected to Borgargjerdi, the royal seat during the reign of
Olav the Holy (1016). In 1312 the estate was handed over from the king and became a country estate which changed hands several times until 1889, when British company The Kellner Partington Paper Pulp Co. Ltd. became its owner. This company built a cellulose factory near
Sarpsfossen waterfall.
In 1918 a holding company called Borregaard was established in order to transfer the business into Norwegian hands.
Until the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
Borregaard's main products were cellulose and paper, but then Borregaard started production of various chemical products and activities in other areas.
In 1986 Borregaard merged with
Orkla Industries into Orkla Borregaard. When Orkla Borregaard then merged with Nora Industries in 1992, the new company took the name Orkla, while the chemicals business kept the Borregaard name.
On the 18th of October 2012 Borregaard was separated from Orkla and was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
Subsidiaries
Borregaard ChemCell
Borregaard ChemCell is a producer of advanced speciality
cellulose
Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of β(1→4) linked D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important structural component of the primary cell w ...
based on
softwood,
Spruce. Borregaards has a Cellulose plant in
Sarpsborg
Sarpsborg ( or ), historically Borg, is a city and municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sarpsborg.
Sarpsborg is part of the fifth largest urban area in Norway when paired with neigh ...
, Norway. 2002 brought Borregaard an additional ChemCell plant in
Solothurn
Solothurn ( , ; french: Soleure ; it, Soletta ; rm, ) is a town, a municipality, and the capital of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located in the north-west of Switzerland on the banks of the Aare and on the foot of the Weissens ...
, Switzerland. This plant was closed 2008.
Customers are manufacturers of cellulose
derivatives, such as cellulose ethers and esters, acetate cellulose and micro-crystalline cellulose. Borregaard ChemCell also produces cellulose for textile fibres, plastic products and a variety of paper qualities.
Borregaard's plant in Norway was erected in 1891, The Swiss plant, former Atisholz started production as early as 1884.
Both plant utilizes a
calcium sulphite based
digesting proses which gives high viscosity cellulose with high purity.
Bio ethanol and basic chemicals
The
sugar compounds in wood is used to manufacture bio
ethanol
Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl group linked to a ...
. Borregaard also produces
caustic soda
Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaOH. It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodium cations and hydroxide anions .
Sodium hydroxide is a highly caustic base and alkali ...
,
hydrochloric acid
Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride. It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungent smell. It is classified as a strong acid
Acid strength is the tendency of an acid, symbol ...
and
bleaching
Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...
chemicals for captive use and for sale to external customers.
Borregaard LignoTech
Borregaard LignoTech is a supplier of lignin-based binding and
dispersing agents (
lignosulphonate
Lignosulfonates (LS) are water-soluble anionic polyelectrolyte polymers: they are byproducts from the production of wood pulp using sulfite pulping. Most delignification in sulfite pulping involves acidic cleavage of ether bonds, which connect ma ...
). Lignin is the binding agent in wood and is extracted as lignosulphonate during the production of cellulose. The company has production units in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
,
US,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, and the
UK, and joint venture units in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, and the
US.
LignoTech's lignin products are used as dispersing agents in
concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...
, textile dyes, agrochemicals, batteries and
ceramic
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...
products, or as binding agents in animal feed and briquettes. Lignin products improve the end-use properties and strengthen the structure of concrete. Lignin-based products are also used in connection with oil drilling.
Borregaard Synthesis
Borregaard Synthesis provides intermediates for non-ionic X-ray contrast media, and has dedicated plants for this market. The company also supplies advanced intermediates, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for several medicines.
The production facilities is located at the Borregaard production site in
Sarpsborg
Sarpsborg ( or ), historically Borg, is a city and municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sarpsborg.
Sarpsborg is part of the fifth largest urban area in Norway when paired with neigh ...
, Norway.
The company also produces
diphenols at its plant in
Ravenna
Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the ca ...
, Italy.
Borregaard Ingredients
Borregaard manufactures ingredients based on natural raw materials.
Omega-3 oil
Borregaard supplies omega-3 specialty oils designed for use in functional food such as dairy products, juice, sausages and sweets.
Vanillin
Vanillin is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a phenolic aldehyde. Its functional groups include aldehyde, hydroxyl, and ether. It is the primary component of the extract of the vanilla bean. Synthetic vanillin is now u ...
The company is the only supplier of vanillin produced from wood (lignin). Borregaard also supplies vanillin and
ethyl vanillin products based on petrochemical raw materials.
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constit ...
products
Borregaard's plant in Switzerland produces protein-rich torula yeast, based on sugar compounds in wood, for use in food products and selected animal feed products. Borregaard also manufactures various yeast extracts that are used as taste enhancers with good nutritional properties in sauces, soups, baby food, pizza and meat products.
General directors and managing directors
* 1918–1933 :
Hjalmar Wessel
* 1933–1960 :
Arne Meidell
* 1960–1978 :
Rein Henriksen
* 1978–1985 :
Oddmund Sørhuus
* 1986–1999 :
Egil Ullebø
* 1999– :
Per Sørlie
Legionella epidemic
In May 2005 there was a
legionellosis
Legionnaires' disease is a form of atypical pneumonia caused by any species of '' Legionella'' bacteria, quite often ''Legionella pneumophila''. Signs and symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, high fever, muscle pains, and headaches. Na ...
outbreak in
Fredrikstad/Sarpsborg Fredrikstad/Sarpsborg is an urban area in Norway consisting of the twin cities Sarpsborg and Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad (; previously ''Frederiksstad''; literally "Fredrik's Town") is a List of cities in Norway, city and Municipalities of Norway, mu ...
area. It was confirmed that an air scrubbers on Borregaard's plant in Sarpsborg, Norway was the source of the worst
legionella
''Legionella'' is a genus of pathogenic gram-negative bacteria that includes the species '' L. pneumophila'', causing legionellosis (all illnesses caused by ''Legionella'') including a pneumonia-type illness called Legionnaires' disease and a mil ...
epidemic
An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί ''epi'' "upon or above" and δῆμος ''demos'' "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of patients among a given population within an area in a short period of time.
Epidemics of infectious ...
in Norwegian history. The
epidemic
An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί ''epi'' "upon or above" and δῆμος ''demos'' "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of patients among a given population within an area in a short period of time.
Epidemics of infectious ...
spread to at least 56 people, of whom ten died.
In 2008 there was a new
legionellosis
Legionnaires' disease is a form of atypical pneumonia caused by any species of '' Legionella'' bacteria, quite often ''Legionella pneumophila''. Signs and symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, high fever, muscle pains, and headaches. Na ...
outbreak in
Fredrikstad/Sarpsborg Fredrikstad/Sarpsborg is an urban area in Norway consisting of the twin cities Sarpsborg and Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad (; previously ''Frederiksstad''; literally "Fredrik's Town") is a List of cities in Norway, city and Municipalities of Norway, mu ...
area. This time it was concluded that the biological treatment plant was connected with both outbreaks. The biological treatment plant was immediately shut down.
[http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/ostfold/1.6202972 Borregaard stenger anlegg – Østfold – NRK Nyheter (Norwegian)]
A replacement plant, based on different technology, was opened in February 2014.
See also
*
Statskog
Statskog is a Norwegian state-owned enterprise responsible for the management of state-owned forest and mountain real estate totaling approximately 20% of the area of Norway. About 5% of Statskog's land is productive forest while 80% is above the ...
References
External links
Corporate websiteBorregaard ChemCellBorregaard LignoTechBorregaard IngredientsBorregaard SynthesisOrkla ASA
{{Authority control
Chemical companies of Norway
Orkla ASA
Companies based in Østfold
Sarpsborg
Companies listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange
Forestry in Norway
Chemical companies established in 1889