Case 02Jul 8, 20266 min read
The dumps of the Arkhangelsk hydrolysis plant hold decades of accumulated hydrolysis lignin. The ArkhPromProcessing project turns this "perpetual" waste into activated carbon, concrete additives and monomers — with IRR up to 46%.
Contents
The legacy of the hydrolysis industry#
Soviet-era hydrolysis plants left behind millions of tons of lignin — an organic polymer that has been sitting in dumps for decades. It is both an environmental problem (dumps occupy land; lignin generates dust and burns out) and a unique feedstock: lignin is the second most abundant biopolymer on the planet, and its chemistry allows products with very different added value.
A cascade of products#
The project's technology chain is built "from simple to complex". The first stage is activated carbon: a sorbent in demand for water treatment, metallurgy and chemistry, with a short time-to-market. The second is modifying additives for concrete (developed with VNIIzHB). The third is chemical monomers and own energy: maximum-margin products requiring deeper processing.
Economics: the simple finances the complex#
| Revenue | 2.45–3.15B RUB/year |
|---|---|
| IRR | 38–46% |
| NPV | +2.4–3.1B RUB |
| Payback | 2.2–2.8 years |
The key idea of the financial model: simple products (carbon and additives) generate cash flow from year one and finance the development of complex ones (monomers, energy). The project does not wait for a "big future" — it is profitable at every stage of the cascade.
Team and partners#
The project is developed jointly with VNIIzHB (construction applications), NArFU (Arkhangelsk, regional and scientific base) and the Laverov Center (chemistry and ecology). This configuration covers the full cycle: regional site, construction verification, scientific depth.
Status and round#
Round 1 of 200M RUB is approved — funds go to pilot industrial development and preparation of first-stage production. The project shows how the cascade model works on "difficult" feedstock: from a dump that used to cost money to store — to a product portfolio with IRR up to 46%.
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