Environmental Impact Assessment for UPM

The environmental impact assessment for a possible second generation biofuel refinery has been concluded in Rauma and Kuusankoski, Finland. The responsible authority, Southeast Finland Regional Environment Centre, has issued its official statement concerning the assessment. In the statement the authority commends that the assessment made by UPM is well prepared and includes a lot of information about the different implementation alternatives and their environmental impacts. The authority concluded that the assessment is sufficient and meets the requirements of the EIA law and statute.

UPM is also assessing alternative locations for a refinery producing transport biofuels at UPM's mill sites in other countries. UPM is now starting an environmental impact and risk assessment study as part of preparations for a permitting procedure in Strasbourg, France. The plan is to study the option of building a second generation biorefinery at the Stracel paper mill site. This process is estimated to last about a year.