UPM and Metso said that they have developed a new concept for the production of biomass-based bio-oil to replace fossil fuels in heating and power generation. Test production will begin at Metso’s test plant in Tampere, Finland this month, UPM said.
The technology used in combined bio-oil and renewable energy production is patented, UPM said, and can be seen as continuation of the combined heat and power production concept developed in Finland.
“We are currently investigating which of our mills in Finland or in other countries would be a suitable location for a biorefinery planned for biodiesel production. The environmental impact assessment of a biorefinery is ongoing in Kuusankoski and Rauma in Finland,” Petri Kukkonen, director for biofuels at UPM said.
According to UPM, biodiesel, bioethanol and bio-oil are biofuels produced with various methods from renewable raw materials. Currently biodiesel and bioethanol are generally used in traffic fuels whereas bio-oil is used in heating and power generation.
