Project Description
In 2020, UPM started building world’s first industry scale biorefinery for wood to chemicals in Leuna, Germany. UPM Leuna will produce a range of 100% wood-based biochemicals that enable a switch from fossil-based products to sustainable alternatives in number of end-uses such as plastics, textiles, cosmetics and industrial applications. Raw materials and other services for the biorefinery are sourced in the region, which enables local value creation and ensures compliance with high social and environmental standards.
Technology and process have been developed by UPM over the past ten years, mainly building on the company’s own innovation capabilities and selectively working with international partners such as the Coca-Cola Company. Now this will be complemented with partnerships that develop applications for using products from the biorefinery. For instance, HAERTOL, a leading engine and battery coolant manufacturer in Europe, will integrate the renewable monoethylene glycols BioPura™ produced by UPM into a new generation of sustainable coolants to support automotive’s net zero ambition and significantly reduce their scope 3 emissions by switching from fossil-based to a renewable ingredient.
Project Purpose
UPM is building the world’s first industry scale biorefinery in Leuna to convert sustainably sourced, certified woody biomass into next generation biochemicals. This will enable the vital shift away from fossil-based to renewable materials across a wide range of industries, including automotive. UPM wood-based biochemicals will significantly reduce the CO2 footprint of the end-use products.
Project Evaluation
The building of the UPM Leuna biorefinery started in 2020 and is due to be ready by end of 2023. UPM invests approximately 750 MEUR in the site. The biorefinery aims to produce 220,000 tonnes annually in total. The investment has been awarded The Bio Act of the Year 2020 by the World BioEconomy Forum.