Metso and UPM develop biomass based bio-oil production
Metso Corporation's press release on June 8, 2009, at 12:00 a.m.
local time
Metso and UPM 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, in June 2009.
Bio-oil can be manufactured by UPM's renewable energy power plants
which are equipped with a suitable boiler and functional raw material
management. The raw material of the bio-oil is wood biomass -
harvesting residues and sawdust, which is a by-product of the forest
industry. Combining bio-oil production to an existing biomass based
power plant creates significant cost end efficiency advantages as
well as new business.
Metso and UPM have developed the bio-oil production concept in
cooperation with the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) and
with funding of the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and
Innovation (Tekes). Combined bio-oil and renewable energy production
is a patented technology. It can be seen as continuation of the
combined heat and power production concept developed in Finland.
The advantage of the CO2 neutral bio-oil produced from renewable raw
material is its remarkable impact to the reduction of greenhouse
emissions. Currently several parties around the world are researching
possibilities to further process bio-oil into traffic fuel.
"Metso has recently announced two significant bioenergy projects: the
license of biomass drying technology and the acquisition of the
LignoBoost technology related to lignin removal. Developing bio-oil
technology is an important continuation of these earlier announced
bio energy projects. It further strengthens Metso's growth as a
supplier of energy and environmental technology solutions, and opens
up new business opportunities with regard to bio fuels," comments
Kari Kuukkanen, General Manager, Technology, at Metso's Power
business line. "Bio-oil will be produced with a new method out of
solid biomass that is liquefied in a pyrolysis equipment integrated
with the fluidized bed boiler of the power plant. In it, the biomass
is heated in an oxygen-free atmosphere in a high temperature and
vaporized as gases. The cooled gases are condensed into bio-oil."
UPM is one of the world's leading forest industry groups. UPM
consists of three Business Groups: Energy and pulp, Paper, and
Engineered materials. The Group employs around 24,000 people and it
has production facilities in 14 countries. In 2008, UPM made sales of
EUR 9.5 billion. UPM's shares are listed on the Helsinki stock
exchange. www.upm-kymmene.com
Metso is a global supplier of sustainable technology and services for
mining, construction, power generation, automation, recycling and the
pulp and paper industries. We have about 28,000 employees in more
than 50 countries. www.metso.com
Further information for the press, please contact:
Kari Kuukkanen, General Manager, Technology, Power business line,
Metso, tel. +358 400 623 059
This announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer is
solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
