Biofore-Magazine-2021

By Oliver Imhof Photography UPM

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FEATURE

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Out with the coal and in with the neu German facility set to create 200 jobs and strengthen Saxony-Anhalt’s reputation as circular economy hub. S axony-Anhalt in the east of Germany is set to become one of Europe’s most attractive hubs for sustainable chemistry and industry, thanks in part to a EUR 550 million investment by UPMin an industrial scale biorefinery. Located near the town of Leuna, the modern plant will create up to 200 new jobs when con struction is completed in 2022. This is a drastic change for a region that was once at the heart of the

by UPM are vital for the future economic development in the area. The Leuna site is an example of such change,” notes Dr. Michael Duetsch , Vice President, UPMBiochemicals Business. The total annual capacity of the biorefinery will be 220,000 tonnes, converting solid wood into next-generation biochemicals – all of which will help to replace fossil-based ingredients in many different industrial applications. Like-minded souls The biorefinery is being built on the Leuna Chemical Complex, which is owned and operated by InfraLeuna, an association of several large international chemical groups. UPM, which has now become a share holder, believes that the investment was of strategic importance due to the site’s sheer size and it being the perfect chance for synergy with other companies. Themanaging director of InfraLeuna, Dr. Christof Günther , says, “It is evenmore important for the group thatUPMalsobrings newand forward-looking technologies and know-how in the field of sustaina ble chemistry to Leuna.” For UPM, the proximity to sustainable forestry was also important,

explains Duetsch: “This is ultimately the licence for our business and means that we can buy wood from sustainably managed forests,” he says. “We also need proximity to our customers, such as the chemical and plastic industries, and Central Europe is an optimal location. It is also one of the few regions in the world where sustainable forestry meets those industries.” Other companies at the site include Linde, a manufacturer of green hydrogen, andTotal Energies, one of largest oil producers in theworld. At Leuna, they are joining forces as the industry drives towards a de carbonised and circular economy. “Our goal must be to build a renewable circular economy based on maximum recycling rates, balancing material losses and demand growth with sustainably produced biochemicals based on renewable carbon, andfinally the complete substitution of fossil feedstocks,” says Duetsch. Spreading the love The regional government is another entity benefitting from chemical investment and is fostering the development by supporting the con struction of the UPM biorefinery with EUR 20 million. In fact, Prime

country’smining of lignite, one of the least efficient types of coal. How ever, since World War II, the area has undergone many transforma tions, including the closure of anoil refinery that hadbeenbuilt during the post-war German Democratic Republic era. With the extraction and generation of electricity from lignite set to end, Saxony-Anhalt is facing another change in direction due to the challenges posed by climate change. “Investments like those made

The Leuna Chemical Complex is located 34 kilometres to the east of Leipzig.