Is using wood a solution to climate change?
The global climate crisis is principally driven by the use of fossil fuels. If climate crisis is an existential threat, can we afford to use our carbon sinks as raw materials? Our answer is definitely “yes”.UPM is often challenged on its use of forests, but using wood is key in the battle against climate change. Sustainably managed forests, tree plantations, wood-based products and low-carbon electricity offer renewable alternatives to fossil-based materials and fuels.
Pulp mills generate besides pulp also biomass-based steam and electricity as well as various side streams and residues – or biostreams as we call them – which can be used to create bio-based alternatives to replace fossil-based plastic packaging or fuels, among others.
Biostreams generated in pulp production process include crude tall oil, turpentine, lignin, green liquor dregs and biosludge.
“We need bio-based alternatives to replace fossil-based materials. Pulp is a great biomaterial and the production process generates valuable side streams and residues that serve as raw materials for versatile products,” says Laura Lundell, UPM Business Development Director responsible for biostreams.
Pulp production is a core activity in a circular bioeconomy
Pulp is a core biomaterial hard to replace in the production of important everyday and specialised applications. Its current end uses include, among others, tissue papers, hygiene products, board, speciality papers for labels and other packaging materials as well as printing and writing papers.
“Alongside pulp, the production process generates biomass-based energy and other valuable biostreams that serve as raw materials for new products,” Lundell says.
These biostreams can replace fossil materials efficiently. For example, UPM uses crude tall oil to produce biofuels, and turpentine is widely utilised in chemical industry.
“At UPM, we are already using wood and all its components, but we could upgrade some of our processes to add even more value. All kinds of products and services can be created from the biostreams currently used to produce green energy,” she adds.
Future possibilities from lignin
Lundell explains that a large share of wood consists of lignin which can serve as a raw material for an almost endless list of applications for biochemicals, bioplastics and biofuels.
“Already today lignin is used to replace phenolic resin in plywood applications, and more uses are currently being researched,” Lundell says.
UPM BioMotion™ Renewable Functional Fillers (RFF), developed by the UPM Biochemicals business, represent the new lignin based products to be manufactured in the Leuna biorefinery which is scheduled to start production in Germany in 2024.
In addition to striving to create more circular economy products through its biostreams development, UPM Pulp is committed to UPM’s 2030 targets including zero waste to landfill and a 65% reduction of CO2 emissions from fuels and purchased electricity used at our production sites by 2030 (from the 2015 level). The aim is also to reduce the emission levels of UPM’s supply chain by 30% from the 2018 level by 2030.