UPM Biochemicals and HAERTOL to develop new sustainable coolants
Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.
UPM Biochemicals and HAERTOL Chemie GmbH have announced a development partnership that will accelerate the introduction of renewable, sustainable forest-sourced materials into the automotive market and reduce fossil resource consumption. Both companies have agreed to form a strategic partnership to produce a new range of carbon neutral engine and battery coolants that will help automotive manufacturers reduce their CO2 footprint.
Press release: "UPM Biochemicals and HAERTOL Chemie GmbH announce strategic partnership to develop new sustainable coolants", 09,02/2023.
Figure 1. UPM Biochemicals and HAERTOL will jointly launch a new range of carbon-neutral engine and battery coolants that will help automakers reduce their carbon footprint (taken from the press release)
UPM is investing 750 M€ to build the world’s first industry scale biorefinery in Leuna (Germany) to convert sustainably sourced, certified woody biomass into next generation biochemicals that will enable the vital shift away from fossil-based to renewable materials across a wide range of industries, including automotive. The biorefinery aims to produce 220,000 tonnes annually in total, with start-up targeted to take place by the end of 2023. The UPM biorefinery in Leuna is strategically positioned to shorten supply chains to European manufacturers. HAERTOL’s production facility in Magdeburg is only approximately 120 km away.
UPM’s renewable bio mono-ethylene glycol (Bio-MEG), UPM BioPura™, is produced from sustainably sourced, certified hardwood obtained from forests in the regions around Leuna in Germany. The biomass does not compete with food resources and is carbon negative, therefore enabling the first ever CO2 neutral coolant to be produced.
UPM’s BioPura™ will enable HAERTOL to offer their customers, leading global automotive brands, a viable option to redefine their net zero targets and significantly reduce their scope three emissions by switching effortlessly from fossil-based, to a renewable, drop-in ingredient - allowing them to create a carbon neutral coolant.