UPM-Biofore-Magazine-2-2017-ENG

Aiming for improved air quality U PMhas been testing its wood-based renewable diesel UPMBioVerno on buses in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland, since 2016. The test is being carried out in collaboration with the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL), VTT and Helsinki City Construction Services, Stara. HSL aims to have buses operating within the Helsinki area using 100% renewable fuels by the year 2020. This is a significant project, as HSL runs a fleet of approximately 1,400 buses in the Helsinki metropolitan area, and they consume roughly 40,000 tonnes of fuel per year. ”The aim of the project is for all of Stara’s commercial vehicles and bus services commissioned by HSL to switch from regular fuels to renewable fuels by 2020. The project started in 2016, and the aim is to increase the amount of renewable fuels in transport each year”, describes Marko Snellman , Commercial Manager at UPMBiofuels. Renewable fuels will reduce carbon dioxide emissions frompublic transport by 80%, which amounts to 120,000 tonnes per year. The amount contains both direct emissions from fuel combustion, as well as the emissions from the production. With targeted use of renewable fuels, harmful tailpipe emissions, such as nitrogen oxide and particles, can be reduced too. People living in the city are exposed to less air pollution, because particle emissions are decreased by up to 30%. The effects can be seen in the air quality of Helsinki city centre, in particular. Approximately 500,000 tonnes of biofuels are produced each year in Finland. Helsinki is one of the world’s first urban regions to switch from regular fuels to 100%waste- and residue-based fuels in public transport. 

BIOPLASTICS FOR THE POST- FOSSIL AGE

The world is facing growing pressure to abandon plastics manufactured from fossil raw materials. A promising alternative is offered by bioplastics, which are produced from 100% renewable raw materials. UPM BioVerno naphtha produced from crude tall oil is an excellent biocomponent in petrol. It also works exceptionally well as a raw material for producing bioplastics. “Naphtha produced from renewable raw materials is an excellent raw material for bioplastics. This is good news for the packaging industry, which aims to reduce its carbon footprint and enhance the usage of renewable raw materials, especially in plastics,” says Marko Snellman, Commercial Manager at UPM Biofuels. Bio-naphtha is suitable for various packaging applications. These include packaging used by the food industry, such as cartons for liquids or yoghurt. Currently, there are only a handful of bio-naphtha producers in the world. “As yet, there is no legislation requiring packaging manufacturers to use bio- based raw materials. Their usage rests solely upon the manufacturers’ desire to reduce their carbon footprint,” Snellman describes. In the future, the recyclability of packaging, renewable raw materials, and responsible operations are set to grow more important than ever.

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