Oleochem Analytics — The damage caused by a fire at UPM’s 130,000 ton/year Lappeenranta Biorefinery on 10 May is nearly repaired, according to the company. The fire caused substantial damage and repair works have proceeded safely and well during the summer.
“The start-up process of the biorefinery is long – it starts with commissioning and pre-works, then continues with getting prepared for a start-up. The aim is to have the Lappeenranta Biorefinery running normally during August,” says Jaakko Nousiainen, Production Director.
The fire was caused by a leak in the process gas pipeline, originating from use of the wrong type of pipeline material, according to Finland-based UPM. During the summer the company has also inspected and renewed similar pipelines. In addition, a large portion of cabling has been renewed and partly rerouted.
“Due to the Covid-19 situation and summer holiday season, we have had some challenges in acquiring some spare parts and resources, but we are on track,” the company said.
In late January 2021, UPM announced it was moving forward with its biofuels growth plans by initiating the basic engineering phase of a next-generation biorefinery to produce renewable fuels and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The proposed scale of the new project is 500,000 tons/year.
