Arbaflame
Arbaflame AS is a Norwegian biotech company producing patented steam-treated black wood pellets (Arbacore) as a drop-in coal replacement for power plants and industrial heat generators, with a bio-refinery producing furfural, methanol and methane, and an R&D pipeline into bio-plastic and aquaculture-feed biochemicals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersOslo, Norway
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Arbaflame does
Arbaflame AS is a Norwegian private biotech company that produces steam-treated black pellets (branded Arbacore) from sustainably sourced forest residuals as a drop-in replacement for coal in power generation and industrial heat applications. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Oslo, the company operates Arba One, the world's first industrial-scale steam-treated black pellet facility, at Grasmo outside Kongsvinger, Norway, with a nameplate capacity of 70,000 tonnes per year. The pellets are sold to coal-fired power plants and industrial heat generators in Europe and North America, and have been validated at 14 power plants operated by 9 utilities across Europe, Japan, the US and Canada, most notably the 100% conversion of Ontario Power Generation's 170 MW Thunder Bay generating station in 2015.
The company's core technology is a patented steam explosion process that breaks down wood fibres and releases lignin, producing hydrophobic black pellets with approximately 76% of coal's energy value (versus ~50% for conventional white pellets), superior mechanical durability, and water resistance that enables outdoor storage and coal-like handling. Arba One is integrated with a bio-refinery that recovers furfural (sold as ArbaX, pre-sold at full capacity to TFC/Treffers Group), plus methanol and methane used internally for process steam and as fuel for transport applications. An R&D pipeline is extending the platform into HMF (a precursor for bio-plastic PEF) and ArbaFeed, a single-cell protein for aquaculture feed.
Arbaflame sells Arbacore pellets through direct B2B relationships with utilities (e.g. Ontario Power Generation), through commodity trader Terval under a five-year offtake agreement for 200,000 tonnes covering France, Germany and Benelux, and via direct shipments from Oslo to industrial customers in Europe, North America and Japan. As of June 2025 the company is 65% owned by PEARL Infrastructure Capital II SCA and 32% by founding shareholder PEMCO, with PEARL's capital underwriting active site search for one to two additional plants across Europe to scale pellet, biochemical and R&D output.
Arbaflame firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Arbaflame
- Legal name
- Arbaflame AS
- Website
- https://arbaflame.no
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Arbaflame AS is a Norwegian biotech company producing patented steam-treated black wood pellets (Arbacore) as a drop-in coal replacement for power plants and industrial heat generators, with a bio-refinery producing furfural, methanol and methane, and an R&D pipeline into bio-plastic and aquaculture-feed biochemicals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Arbaflame industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biomass Fuel and Bio-chemicals
- NAICS
- Wood Product Manufacturing (321), Cyclic Crude, Intermediate, and Gum and Wood Chemical Manufacturing (325194)
- SIC
- Forestry (800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wood Pellet Manufacturing (EUAAAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Pellet & Wood Fuel Manufacturing (IMAMABAH), Biomass Pellets, Briquettes & Solid Bioenergy Products (industrial/residential) (IMAMALAJ), Lignin-based Materials & Carbon Products (binders, resins, carbon fiber/activated carbon) (IMAMALAE), Biomass Fuel Equipment & Systems (Pellet Mills, Briquetters, Torrefaction Reactors) (EUAAAJAH)
Keywords
Where Arbaflame is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oslo
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Arbaflame business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Arbacore Pellet Sales: Sale of Arbacore steam-cracked black pellets as a coal replacement for power generation and industrial applications. Primary revenue stream from long-term offtake agreements and spot sales. The company has a five-year offtake agreement with Terval for 200,000t (initially 40,000t/yr), with commercial sales to the European market beginning in 2022.
- Bio-chemicals (Furfural, Methanol, Methane): Arba One's bio-refinery arm produces crude furfural (sold to TFC), methanol and methane (used internally as process fuel). R&D ongoing for HMF and single-cell proteins (ArbaFeed). Fur for fish feed.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Arbaflame product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Arbaflame manufactures and sells steam-exploded black wood pellets (ArbaCore) from sustainably sourced forest residuals as a drop-in coal replacement for coal-fired power plants and industrial heat generators. The company also produces bio-chemical co-products including furfural (ArbaX), methanol, and methane from the production condensate, sold to industrial buyers in the chemicals and materials sector.
Product overview
Arbaflame operates as a biotech company producing steam-treated black pellets (ArbaCore) as a coal substitute for power plants, alongside multiple high-value bio-chemical co-products. The company operates the Arba One production facility in Kongsvinger, Norway, which produces ArbaCore pellets along with furfural (ArbaX), methanol, and methane as internal fuel or for sale. The R&D pipeline includes ArbaFeed (single cell protein for aquaculture) and HMF for bio-plastic applications. The patented steam explosion technology enables production of pellets with coal-like properties including hydrophobicity, high energy density, and water resistance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ArbaCore: Steam-treated black pellets produced using patented steam explosion technology. The pellets are hydrophobic (water-resistant), have high energy density, and can replace coal in power plants with minimal conversion costs. Energy density corresponds to 76% of coal's energy value.
- ArbaOne
- ArbaCore (Arbacore)
- ArbaX
- ArbaFeed
Products and services
- ArbaCore (Arbacore) Black Pellets Steam-exploded black wood pellets produced from sustainably sourced forest residuals using patented steam explosion technology. The pellets are hydrophobic, water-resistant, have high energy density (76% of coal), and serve as a drop-in replacement for coal in coal-fired power plants and industrial heat applications with minimal conversion cost.
- ArbaX Furfural Crude furfural bio-chemical co-produced from condensate released during ArbaCore pellet production at ArbaOne. Used as feedstock for thermoset polymer matrix composites, cements, adhesives, coatings, and casting/foundry resins. Pre-sold at full capacity to TFC (Treffers Group).
- Bio-methanol Bio-methanol co-produced from condensate released during ArbaCore pellet production at ArbaOne. Currently used as internal process fuel for steam production, with potential for transport fuel applications.
- Bio-methane Bio-methane co-produced from condensate released during ArbaCore pellet production at ArbaOne. Currently used as internal process fuel (<2 MW) for steam production, with potential for transport fuel applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- 76% of coal's energy value vs ~50% for white pellets
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Arbaflame
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Arbaflame technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Arbaflame partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- TervalcoreBelgium-based commodity trading firm. Signed five-year offtake agreement for 200,000t of Arbacore pellets (initially 40,000 t/yr), with option to extend by one year. Terval plans to sell pellets to manufacturing firms and power/heat generators in France, Germany and Benelux. Terval has verified the solution in full-scale industrial trials with their customers.
- NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)supportingR&D collaboration partner. NTNU's Department of Chemical Engineering (Environmental Engineering & Reactor Tech) and Department of Thermal Energy support Arbaflame's R&D programs including ArbaCore verification, ArbaRaf chemical optimization, and ArbaFeed protein extraction.
- TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research)supportingR&D collaboration partner. TNO connects people and knowledge to create innovations that boost competitive strength of industry and well-being of society sustainably. Part of Arbaflame's externally-funded R&D programs.
- PFI/Processum (Bioeconomy division)supportingPart of the Swedish research institute (RI.SE), internationally acknowledged within lignocellulose processes and products. Supports Arbaflame's R&D in biomass & energy efficiency and bioeconomy through the ArbaRaf and ArbaFeed programs.
- TFC (Treffers Group)corePurchaser of ArbaX furfural at full capacity from ArbaOne. Uses furfural for thermoset polymer matrix composites, cements, adhesives, coatings and casting/foundry resins.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Arbaflame competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Valmet: Global supplier of biomass processing and power-conversion technology, including equipment for black pellet and torrefied pellet plants. Adjacent peer in the supply chain and a potential licensor/competitor for Arba One-class plants.
- Stora Enso: Nordic forest products and bioenergy company with bio-based chemicals and renewable energy exposure. Adjacent peer with overlapping feedstock (Nordic sawdust/bark), bio-chemical co-product strategy, and European industrial customer base.
- Andritz: Major supplier of pelleting, drying, and biomass-processing equipment, with active offerings in black pellet and torrefaction technology. Comparable in that it serves the same utility/pellet customer set with capital equipment underpinning new biomass plants.
- UPM Biofuels: Division of UPM producing advanced biofuels and renewable feedstocks from forest-based raw materials. Comparable in wood-based bioeconomy strategy and in selling renewable drop-in fuels to industrial customers seeking to decarbonise.
- Drax Group: Vertically integrated biomass power generator and, through its acquisition of Pinnacle Renewable Energy, a major wood pellet producer. Competes with Arbaflame on the demand side (Drax is itself a utility offtaker) and increasingly on the supply side of industrial biomass pellets.
Direct peers
- Graanul Invest: European wood pellet producer focused on industrial and utility customers. Competes with Arbaflame in the same European industrial-biomass channel and on similar offtake structures with utilities and traders.
- German Pellets: European wood pellet producer with significant capacity supplying heating and industrial markets. Competes directly with Arbacore in the European industrial-pellet channel, although its product is white pellets with a different cost/handling profile.
- Zilkha Biomass Energy: Developer of black pellet / 'Zilkha Black' technology, one of the closest direct competitors to Arbacore in the steam-treated / torrefied black-pellet category. Competes head-to-head on coal-replacement economics for utilities.
- Pinnacle Renewable Energy: Western Canadian producer of industrial wood pellets supplying Asian and European utility markets (now part of Drax). Direct competitor on feedstock geography (British Columbia forest residuals) and on utility offtake contracts.
- Enviva: Largest global producer of wood pellets for industrial-scale power generation, supplying utilities in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Direct competitor in the biomass-for-coal-replacement value chain, with overlap on feedstock (forest residuals), utilities customers, and global shipping logistics.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights8 records
Customer concentration
Arbaflame social profiles
Digital presenceArbaflame compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Arbaflame financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Arbaflame leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Arbaflame funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Arbaflame M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Arbaflame
What does Arbaflame do?
Arbaflame manufactures and sells steam-exploded black wood pellets (ArbaCore) from sustainably sourced forest residuals as a drop-in coal replacement for coal-fired power plants and industrial heat generators. The company also produces bio-chemical co-products including furfural (ArbaX), methanol, and methane from the production condensate, sold to industrial buyers in the chemicals and materials sector.
Is Arbaflame a public or private company?
Arbaflame is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Arbaflame founded?
Arbaflame was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Arbaflame based?
Arbaflame is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does Arbaflame make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Arbacore Pellet Sales are the primary driver. The others are bio-chemicals (Furfural, Methanol, Methane).
Who are Arbaflame's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Valmet, Stora Enso, Andritz, UPM Biofuels and Drax Group. Direct peers are Graanul Invest, German Pellets, Zilkha Biomass Energy, Pinnacle Renewable Energy and Enviva.
Does Arbaflame have an API?
No public API is recorded for Arbaflame.
What industry is Arbaflame in?
Arbaflame's product category is Biomass Fuel and Bio-chemicals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAAAJAA, Wood Pellet Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMAMABAH, Pellet & Wood Fuel Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 321 and its SIC code is 800.