Siemens Energy wins contract to electrify UPM biorefinery in Leuna

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Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.

The Finnish company UPM-Kymmene has selected Siemens Energy to supply electrification, automation, and digitalization (EAD) packages for its next-generation biorefinery currently under construction in Leuna (Germany).
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Figure 1. UPM Lappeenranta Biorefinery (photo courtesy of UPM-Kymmene)

The biorefinery will be the first industrial-scale facility of its type ever built. It will apply novel process innovations to sustainably convert wood into bio-based mono-ethylene glycol (MEG), mono-propylene glycol (MPG) as well as renewable functional fillers (RFF). The plant is scheduled for start-up in late 2022. When fully operational, it will have a total annual capacity of 220,000 tons.

Siemens Energy’s scope of supply for the project includes:
- Electrification: mill-wide medium- and low-voltage power distribution system and drive system (motor control center, variable speed drives, motors);
- Automation: Distributed control system (DCS) for multiple process areas and remote I/O cubicles (total of 9,000 process objects), including safety and ATEX functions for explosive atmospheres; 
- Digitalization: Complete digital twin for the entire plant, covering the mill’s whole life cycle – from integrated engineering to integrated operation.

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