Finland – Veolia has begun construction on the world’s largest biorefinery, which will generate CO2-neutral bio-methanol from a pulp mill in Finland.
The project will help to unlock the potential of this alternative biofuel feedstock, which has been largely untapped to date.
The refinery will be based on Veolia’s innovative industrial scale concept of commercial bioproduct-derived biomethanol production, which safely integrates the refining of crude sulphate methanol into the pulp production process. It was developed in close collaboration with Metsä Fibre, Europe’s largest cooperative forestry association.
Low-carbon fuel
The project will contribute to European energy security while also supporting the European Green Deal’s transportation decarbonization goals, as industrial-grade CO2-neutral biomethanol is a new source of low-carbon fuel that can replace fossil-based fuels.
Veolia will own and operate the refinery, which will be located next to and partially integrated into Metsä Fibre’s änekoski plant in Finland. With a capacity of 12.000 tons per year, the plant, which is expected to be operational by 2024, will be able to avoid up to 30.000 tons of CO2 emissions per year. The investment of 50 million euros is backed by a grant from Finland’s Ministry of Economy and Employment.
