Our history

– 110 years of accumulated experience

2020

Sekab’s Kristina Nilsson and Sofie Indevall are named Marketer of the Year in Örnsköldsvik for 10 years of strategically sustainable marketing communication that has resulted in among other things:

  • 30% more direct traffic to Sekab’s Swedish website
  • 118% more search traffic from Google to the Swedish website
  • 120% more direct traffic to Sekab’s English website
  • 69% more search traffic from Google to Sekab’s English website
  • 140% increase in the number of keywords where Sekab ranks as top 100
  • More than twice as many unique websites link to Sekab’s website.

Sekab is rapidly adapting during the current Corona crisis. In two weeks in March, Sekab goes from production start to delivery of the first cans of hand sanitizer. In May, Sekab produced 140 000 liters of disinfectant that was delivered to hospital and healthcare facilities, municipalities and companies in Sweden.

Sekab launches an English blog about sustainability and climate-smart solutions for individuals and the environment. The intention being to work actively towards the development of the global bioeconomy.

Peab lays unique asphalt in Sundsvall. The asphalt contains lignin from Sekab

2019

Sekab launches a new logo and new website that better reflect Sekab’s green focus and goals.

Sekab launches guaranteed sustainable c. Accordingly, Sekab is the only company in Europe that can offer renewable acetaldehyde to the chemical industry.

For the third consecutive year, Sekab’s Ylwa Alwarsdotter is recognized by the international bioeconomy magazine Il Bioeconomista for her work with the development of a bioeconomy.

2018

Sekab launches EthaDrive in collaboration with Scania, Lantmännen and Norrköping Municipality and with the support of the Swedish Energy Agency. A world-unique rolling showcase for climate-smart transport.

The RewoFuel project starts; eleven European companies and universities participate, and the EU contributes 13.9 million Euros. Sekab contributes by providing its biorefinery technology. Rewofuel will demonstrate the production of biofuels from softwood raw materials, the intention being the promotion of biorefineries in Europe that use forest residues for the production of biofuels and green asphalt.

2017

Sekab’s Green Blog is nominated by GreenMatch as one of 40 Swedish Inspirers of a sustainable lifestyle.

Sekab is elected into the European Climate Network – LSB Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels, an international coalition of large European companies that promote advanced biofuels.

Circle K launches its first pump for Sekab’s biofuel ED95.

2016

Sekab joins the government’s initiative Fossil-free Sweden, the goal of which is for Sweden to become one of the world’s first fossil-free welfare states.

2015

SEKAB is named the Environmental Company of the Year in Örnsköldsvik, for its efforts to provide our society with long-term sustainable chemical products and biofuels.

Together with UPM, the bio and forestry industry company, SEKAB starts a large project the aim of which is to develop and demonstrate processes for the production of green chemical products with the forest as the raw material.

It is now 30 years since the ethanol and chemical company SEKAB started its operations in the Domsjö biorefinery area outside Örnsköldsvik. To celebrate this anniversary, SEKAB opens two new parts of its production facility and invites the public to a large birthday party on 10th October.

Sekab is ranked 50th on “Sustainability Engagement Mapping 2015” – the list of Sweden’s 100 most influential opinion formers who have received the most attention and who are considered to be highly skilled within sustainability.

2014

SEKAB sells its stake in the Polish ethanol production company Bioagra. The sale strengthens SEKAB’s finances and is positive for the continued development in the area of green chemistry.

Sekab’s Blog on sustainability is recognized by GreenMatch as being one of the greenest blogs in 2014. We are highlighted as being a green inspirer that by means of our blog and website inspires and contributes to the green development of our planet through enlightenment, increased information and constructive debate.

2013

Premium PURE, a series of green chemical products based on cellulose ethanol, is launched.

2011

SEKAB has now 111 employees and a turnover of SEK 2 billion, which makes the company one of the largest Nordic environmental technology companies.

Canada’s Embassy visits SEKAB. This is due to the fact that Sweden and Canada have signed a bilateral agreement for the promotion of research collaborations in the forestry and natural resources sector.

SEKAB and Taurus Energy are together awarded the Technology of the Year award by Biofuels Digest for a successful joint demonstration of ethanol production from cellulose raw materials on an industrial demo scale.

There are now almost 3,000 E85 filling stations in Europe and new ones are opening every week. Most of them are still located in Sweden, but the number is also rapidly increasing in the rest of Europe.

2010

The world’s first public petrol station for SEKAB’s biofuels for heavy vehicles, ED95, opens in Stockholm.

The ethanol pilot plant meets the IEA’s, the International Energy Council, criteria for a demo facility. Agreements on the first major external assignments in the demo facility are reached.

2009

SEKAB is awarded the international Sustainable Bioethanol Award for the development of verified sustainable ethanol and the processes for second-generation ethanol based on cellulose. SEKAB’s partly owned fuel ethanol plant in Poland, Bioagra, is ready and goes into operation as the first in the country.

Robert Silverman, Charge d’Affaires at the US Embassy, ​​visits SEKAB in Örnsköldsvik to study the development of cellulose ethanol technology. The driving force behind the visit is President Barack Obama’s great interest in environmental technology.

2008

SEKAB is first in the world to launch and deliver verified sustainable ethanol. The sustainable ethanol is imported from Brazil and is produced in accordance with a number of criteria regarding social conditions, environmental impact and climate benefit.

Scania and Volvo develop lorry engines that can be run on ethanol instead of diesel and SEKAB plans a first network of filling stations for ED95 – an ethanol propellant for heavy transport vehicles such as buses and lorries.

Taurus Energi and SEKAB, together with Chalmers University of Technology and Lund University, initiate advanced biotechnological development cooperation on ethanol production.

Over the next two years, the Swedish Energy Agency will be investing SEK 33.8 million in the development of the ethanol processes at the pilot plant in Örnsköldsvik. SEKAB will be investing in excess of SEK 13 million in the same project, which includes the continued development and verification of chemical process technology for the future large-scale production of ethanol from cellulose raw materials.

SEKAB now delivers E85 to 800 filling stations throughout Sweden and is first in the world to launch and deliver verified sustainable ethanol.

2007

SEKAB expands its operations outside Sweden.

US Ambassador Michael M. Woods visits SEKAB together with Dan Arvizu, CEO of NREL, the National Renewable Laboratories in Golden, Colorado. Sweden’s King Karl Gustaf and Queen Silvia visit SEKAB.

SEKAB’s pilot plant for cellulose ethanol development focuses on enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis.

2006

The new SEKAB group will be presented during the autumn of 2006. Etek and Svensk Etanolkemi AB will be renamed SEKAB E-Technology and SEKAB BioFuels & Chemicals respectively. At the same time, three new companies will be formed, the parent company SEKAB Biofuel Industries as well as SEKAB Industrial Development and SEKAB International.

2005

A regional consortium buys SEKAB from Akzo Nobel and Domsjö Fabriker. The regional owner consortium consists of Ö-vik Energi, Umeå Energi, Skellefteå Kraft, Länsförsäkringar in Västerbotten, OK Ekonomisk förening and EcoDevelopment.

2004

EKAB and OKQ8 will together be the first to supply ethanol for low admixture in petrol throughout Sweden. The market is growing and projects are starting abroad to secure the supply of raw materials. The ethanol pilot is launched and swiftly gains significant international attention.

Saab’s new ethanol car BioPower is premiered at SEKAB in Örnsköldsvik.

2002

SEKAB starts to sell and distribute ethyl acetate to the European market.

2001

The Swedish Energy Agency grants SEK 112 million to a pilot plant that SEKAB and the region co-finance and which involves the region’s universities. Accordingly, the Etanolpilot in Sweden AB is founded and worldwide research begins in Örnsköldsvik.

2000

After the merger of Holmen Bruk, Iggesunds Bruk and MoDo, a name change takes place to Holmen AB and the name Mo and Domsjö is no longer used. The sulphite factory in Domsjö is taken over from Holmens Bruk AB by a private consortium under the name of Domsjö fabriker AB, which hereby owns 50% of SEKAB.

1997

With the aim of running the Ethanol pilot project, the energy companies in the region establish Energicentrum i Norr AB. Which later became, Etek Ethanol Technology and is now called SEKAB E-Technology AB.

1996

SEKAB acquires a chemical factory from Neste Oxo when they close their operations in Örnsköldsvik.

1994

SEKAB builds up the E85 market. Sweden’s first three ethanol cars are imported to Örnsköldsvik and SEKAB supplies ethanol fuel E85 to a filling station. In the coming years, the number of filling stations will increase rapidly and SEKAB will supply biofuels to approximately 300 stations. Today there are more than 1,800 filling stations for E85 in Sweden and the fuel companies themselves have taken over the deliveries.

1989

SEKAB is contracted to supply ethanol fuel for 30 buses in Stockholm. This leads to Stockholm’s 1993 decision to improve the local environment in the city by investing heavily in ethanol buses.

1986

SEKAB starts producing and delivering ethanol fuel for buses in Örnsköldsvik, the first in Europe.

1985

SEKAB – Svensk Etanol Kemi AB is founded by Berol and MoDo based on the ethanol chemistry business that has existed on Domsjö industrial estate since the end of the 1930s. Two agreements for the manufacture of the chemicals acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate form the basis of the establishment of SEKAB. The agreements were supported by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), in which an important factor was the secure of supply of chemicals in Sweden.

1983

The Swedish Ethanol Development Foundation, SSEU is founded with its headquarters in Örnsköldsvik. The operations came to be the driving force for the development and marketing of ethanol and ethanol fuels, and thereby became a prerequisite for the formation of SEKAB.

1973

MoDoKemi AB is sold and renamed Berol Kemi.

1970

The organic-chemical industries in Domsjö and Stenungssund are merged under the name of MoDoKemi AB.

1945

During World War II, Mo and Domsjö develop the organic-chemical industry to include a large number of chemical products based on sulphite spirits.

1909

The first drops of ethanol are produced industrially in the Örnsköldsvik area and lay the foundation for the ethanol expertise that SEKAB still manages and develops today.

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