The Environmental Impact Assessment for the biorefinery project of UPM in Kotka is completed
Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.
In February 2018, UPM started the environmental
impact assessment (EIA) for a new biorefinery in Finland (see post,
6/2/2018). The biorefinery would be located in Mussalo (Kotka) and produce
approximately 500 ktons/year of advanced biofuels made from sustainable raw
materials. The EIA has already been completed and submitted to the authorities (see
press
release, 04/10/2018). It is part of a year-long pre-study phase focused
on the feasibility of the project. The final conclusions of the authorities for
the EIA are expected in the beginning of next year.
According to the assessment, conducted by
consultancy company Pöyry, the biorefinery would have substantial positive
impacts such as increasing utilization of wastes as well as a decrease in GHG
emissions. That decrease would be as much as 16% of the GHG emissions generated
by Finnish road traffic and equivalent to three times the GHG emissions of a
city the size of Helsinki.
Figure 1. The proposed site for the biorefinery
is in the area of a dismantled power plant formerly run by the Pohjolan Voima
energy company (extracted from the press release)
If the biorefinery goes ahead, the main
environmental impacts will be caused by increased traffic and changes in the
landscape. The facility would also have a very positive effect on the Kotka
region's economic life and finances. The results of the assessment will be
covered more thoroughly in a public event organized on 15 October at 17:30 in
Cafe Neptunus in Kotka.
