Material efficiency is key to the production of advanced biofuels. By utilising waste and residue streams, existing sustainably produced raw materials are put to even more efficient use. No new land is needed to produce them, and they do not directly affect food production or add to the loss of biodiversity.
We utilise residues sustainably
Renewable, wood-based biofuels based on residue streams can significantly reduce transport emissions while committing to sustainable production methods. We utilise the lifecycle of wood-based biomass with optimal efficiency. As a raw material, wood provides a very good starting point. UPM's advanced biofuels are a great example: they are made from pulp production residue – a big part of which comes from UPM's own pulp mills.
Renewable biofuel or bio-based plastic from wood - what does it mean?
Wood lies at the heart of UPM's operations. It is our renewable raw material from which we manufacture a wide range of products for various end uses. The recyclability of our products and raw materials is an important factor to us right from the design phase to the end of a product’s life cycle. UPM’s product range includes for example pulp, paper, labels, timber, plywood, biocomposites, biochemicals and biofuels.
UPM's biofuel production process emphasises material efficiency and renewability. Producing UPM BioVerno advanced biofuels does not cause additional logging. Instead, a residue from another process, pulp production, is utilised.
A natural wood extract of mainly softwood origin, crude tall oil, is collected as a residue in pulp production. Crude tall oil is a completely renewable raw material, so using it gives significant environmental benefits compared to fossil raw materials.
The UPM Lappeenranta Biorefinery uses crude tall oil as its main raw material.