What is tall oil and how is it used?

Tall oil is a renewable bioproduct used in the production of biofuels and as an additive in many everyday products, where it replaces fossil-based substances.

Where does the raw material for Södra’s tall oil come from?

The raw material for Södra’s tall oil comes from the responsibly managed forests of its members and from certified sources.

Liquid Forest® Tall oil from Södra

Q: How does tall oil help reduce carbon dioxide emissions?

Tall oil helps reduce the climate impact of the biofuel industry by around 90,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year – equivalent to a round trip to the sun, twice.

Frequently asked questions

Tall oil from family forestry

How is our tall oil produced?

Depending on the raw material used at our pulp mills, Södra has the capacity to produce around 46,000 tonnes of tall oil (crude tall oil) per year.

After the cooking process, where wood raw material is turned into pulp, the spent cooking liquor – black liquor – is sent to chemical recovery. In the black liquor are extractives that have been separated from the wood and formed soap. This soap can then be separated from the black liquor through decanting in liquor tanks.

The soap is then treated with acid to revert to various organic acids – and the resulting product is what is known as crude tall oil. The term “tall oil” is used regardless of which tree species was used as raw material.

Biofuel from the forest

Tall oil with extra long sustainability

Each year, Södra’s crude tall oil helps reduce the climate impact of the biofuel industry by around 90,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. You might wonder – is that a lot? The answer is yes. The amount of CO₂ saved is equivalent to driving around the Earth nearly 12,000 times.

Another important environmental aspect is that the raw material for our tall oil is already part of our regular production. It’s simply a product of maximised resource efficiency – the whole tree is used – in our pulp manufacturing.

The raw material comes from our members’ sustainably managed forests. Since our members are more than 50 000 family forest owners, each with their own goals and visions, this contributes to diversity and variation in Sweden’s forests.