UPM’s electricity and heat consumption has reduced by approximately nine percent per paper ton. In the past two years, UPM has gained a total of 55 million Euros from its energy savings activities and achieved seven percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. During the past two years, UPM has improved energy efficiency significantly by effective process and equipment modifications as well as engaging employees in a global energy-saving campaign. UPM’s electricity and heat consumption has reduced by approximately nine percent per paper ton.
“Our long-term target is to achieve the best carbon footprint in the industry by improving our energy efficiency and increasing the use of carbon neutral and bio-based energy,” says Markku Taavitsainen, Director, UPM’s Paper Business Group.
During the energy savings campaign, nine million Euros was spent on the implementation of 140 development ideas produced by the staff, which brought permanent and long-term improvements.
“We achieved significant improvement with relatively minor measures. For example, at the Rauma mill, the manufacturing of mechanical pulp was developed. The renewals have resulted in major annual energy savings equivalent to heating 10,000 houses,” says Taavitsainen.
UPM generates all the heat and one third of the electricity it needs for paper-making in combined heat and power production plants operating on paper mill sites. Energy generation in the mill power plants is based mainly on renewable, biomass-based fuels, such as bark and forest residues. Biomass-based fuels make up 80 percent of fuels used by UPM in Finland and 68 percent worldwide. The company produces 30 percent of the renewable bio-energy in Finland. UPM is the second largest biomass-based electricity generator in Europe.
