Sustainable forestry supports groundbreaking biochemicals business
Expected to start up by the end of 2022, our state-of-the-art biochemicals biorefinery in Leuna, Germany, will produce a range of 100% wood-based biochemicals that enable a switch from fossil-based products to sustainable alternatives in a number of end-uses such as plastics, textiles, cosmetics, and industrial applications. The Leuna plant will use hardwood trees native to Germany, where the share of mixed forests has increased, as they are more resilient to the effects of climate change and help to maintain biodiversity. According to Andreas Meggendorfer, Senior Manager Sourcing and Supply Chain Biochemicals at UPM, the new business will now be able to find use cases for hardwood, where industrial applications have so far been limited.