First biorefinery producing wood-based biodiesel

Finland-based UPM’s facility is located in Lappeenranta, south-eastern Finland, and will produce biodiesel from crude tall oil at the company’s Kaukas mill site. This integration will offer synergies, such as a wastewater treatment plant and utilities like energy, electricity, steam and instrument air. Construction is due for completion in two years’ time. When it is ready, the biorefinery will produce annually approximately 100,000 tonnes of advanced second generation biodiesel for the transportation industry, equating to 120 million litres of biodiesel.

As is well known, the EU’s target is to increase the share of biofuels in transport fuels to 10% by 2020. In Finland, however, the goals are even harder to reach, with an expected increase of 20%. The annual production of UPM’s Lappeenranta biorefinery will contribute approximately a quarter of this biofuel target if sold entirely on the domestic market. However UPM will also supply biodiesel elsewhere, primarily to countries in the Baltic region.

More information: on the biofuels international conference