UPM Biofuels gains ISCC PLUS certification for bio-based applications
UPM Biofuels has extended sustainability certification to cover all of its output streams from the Lappeenranta Biorefinery in Finland under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Scheme ISCC PLUS. UPM Biofuels produces renewable diesel and naphtha at the Lappeenranta Biorefinery in Finland. Wood-based renewable diesel UPM BioVerno for transportation is the main product. However, the process also generates a smaller share of renewable naphtha, which can be used as a biocomponent for petrol.
Existing biofuel sustainability certifications cover the use of these renewable fuels in transportation. However, with the new ISCC PLUS certificate, the wood-based fuels can now also be utilised as certified feedstock, for example in bioplastics production. Other output streams from the Lappeenranta Biorefinery are renewable turpentine, pitch and sodium bisulphite, which are formed as residues of biofuel production. Like the main products, all these residues have several applications in the chemical industry.
ISCC PLUS is a sustainability certification scheme for bio-based applications like chemicals, food and feed products and applications in the bioenergy sector. It is built on the same basic requirements as the biofuel specific ISCC-EU scheme, covering sustainability and traceability criteria. In addition, the scope of this certification can be extended by voluntary add-ons like the Greenhouse Gas Emission Calculation, which is also included in the certification scope of UPM Biofuels.
“The new ISCC PLUS certification complements UPM’s existing biofuel specific sustainability certificate portfolio to cover new potential bio-based market segments and their requirements. There is a growing need for certified renewable fuels and chemicals, for example in the biochemical and bioplastics industries which are seeking replacements for fossil usage in their processes and end use,” says Sari Mannonen, Sales and Marketing Director, UPM Biofuels.
“For example, UPM’s renewable turpentine can be used in the production of bio-based aroma chemicals for the fragrance industry, and sodium bisulphite as a bleach in the chemical industry.”
For biofuel markets the existing certificates from ISCC EU and the Finnish national sustainability scheme provide proof of compliance with the sustainability criteria set by the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED). With both ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS certifications UPM will have access to other relevant bio-based market segments, and compliance with the sustainability requirements of important customer groups is guaranteed.
Innovative renewable biofuels from Finland
UPM’s renewable diesel, known as UPM BioVerno, is an innovation that reduces lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% when compared with fossil fuels. The latest studies show that UPM BioVerno diesel also reduces tailpipe emissions significantly. This high quality drop-in biofuel is produced from a residue of UPM’s own pulp production, crude tall oil, with no edible materials being used. UPM BioVerno is an ideal fuel for all diesel-powered vehicles.
UPM started the production of wood-based renewable diesel in the UPM Lappeenranta Biorefinery in January 2015. The production capacity of the biorefinery is 120 million litres of renewable diesel annually. The new certification opens up new application markets outside vehicle fuels for all products and residues of the Lappeenranta Biorefinery.
In the picture: Sari Mannonen, Sales and Marketing Director, UPM Biofuels.
