UPM starts the environmental impact assessment for a new biorefinery in Finland

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Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.

UPM continue to take steps to expand its businesses. Last October, the company announced that it was evaluating the potential of building a wood-based biorefinery to produce green chemicals in Germany (see post, 25/10/2017). Now, it is studying new biofuels development opportunities by starting the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for another biorefinery in Finland (see press release, 5/2/2018).

This is a summary of the data provided by the press release:
Location
Mussalo (Kotka, in south-eastern Finland).
The proposed site is in the area of a dismantled power plant formerly run by the Pohjolan Voima energy company.
Feedstocks
UPM is looking into the use of several new feedstocks, among them, wood residues and oil from turnip rape-related carinata.
Products and production capacity
500 ktons of advanced biofuels for transportation.
Technology
Different technology than in its current Lappeenranta Biorefinery.
Timeline and investment decision
The project is in the very early stages and the EIA process normally takes approximately one year.
EU and national policies on biofuels will play an important role in the final assessment of the possible investment.

Figure 1. Proposed site for the new biorefinery in the area of a dismantled power plant (extracted from the press release)

Regarding to the use of carinata as biofuel feedstock, UPM has received the RSB (The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) certification for its cultivation in Uruguay (see press release, 15/1/2018). Brassica carinata is an oilseed crop specially designed for sustainable production of biofuels. The crop works well in the climatic and agricultural conditions of Uruguay and has been tested by local farmers.

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