UPM Advances Sustainable Biochemicals

24 October 2017

Key highlights

Evaluating a biorefinery in Frankfurt-Höchst, Germany.
Converting wood into bio-monoethylene glycol, bio-monopropylene glycol, and lignin.
Production capacity up to 150,000 metric tons per year.
Commercial and engineering study phase to last about 12 months.

Project Overview

UPM is evaluating the potential of building a biorefinery in the Chemical Park Frankfurt-Höchst, Germany. This biorefinery would utilize novel technologies and sustainable wood raw material, a result of over five years of technology development and piloting.

Production Capabilities

The planned industrial-scale biorefinery aims to convert wood into bio-monoethylene glycol (bMEG), bio-monopropylene glycol (bMPG), and lignin, with a production capacity of up to 150,000 metric tons per year. The raw material will be hardwood sourced from sustainably managed forests in Central Europe.

Applications

Bio-monoethylene glycol can be used in textiles, bottles, packaging, and deicing fluids. Bio-monopropylene glycol has applications in composites, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and detergents. Lignin can be utilized in wood resins, plastics, foams, and coatings. UPM Plywood has already introduced WISA BioBond, a gluing solution that replaces fossil-based phenol with lignin in plywood products.

Next Steps

UPM will proceed with a detailed commercial and basic engineering study to verify the business case's attractiveness. This phase is expected to last about 12 months. If successful, UPM will follow its standard procedure for analyzing and preparing an investment decision.