Marvin Strüfing
Sales Director Renewable Glycols UPM BIOCHEMICALS
UPM will be one of the first to produce wood-based biochemicals on a large scale
Finland-based UPM Biochemicals is a global leader of the bio-based forest industry with a history dating back over 100 years. Its wood-based renewable biochemicals offer sustainable and competitive high-quality solutions for replacing fossil-based raw materials. It is investing in a new-to-the-world industrial scale biorefinery at Leuna, Germany which will convert solid wood into next generation biochemicals. In a discussion with Fibre2Fashion, UPM’s Sales Director Renewable Glycols Marvin Strüfing explains how wood-based biochemicals can help the polyester industry turn more greener.
What is the size of the market for biochemicals? What percentage do wood-based biochemicals hold in it?
It is very difficult to give an exact number as the biochemicals market is still in its infancy. Wood-based biochemicals are to our knowledge not yet really present, hence UPM will be one of the first to produce wood-based biochemicals on a large scale.
What are the applications of wood-based biochemicals in textiles?
Our BioPura MEG (Monoethylene Glycol) amounts to being one of the key raw materials for polyester. Since polyester is such a versatile product, anything based on it can be greener in the future.
How are wood-based biochemicals different from conventional chemicals?
Our BioPura MEG is a pure drop-in solution. It’s based on wood; however, it will have the same chemical properties and performance as the fossil-based glycols. Therefore, our product can be easily implemented and requires no long approval process along the chain. Besides, it allows innovation with limited investment cost.
What makes your raw material wood so interesting for the polyester industry?
Our raw material wood comes from sustainable, certified (FSC/PEFC) local forests. UPM will utilise thinnings and industrial hardwood, of which 70 per cent currently gets incinerated, along with side streams from sawmills. Wood does not compete with food production. Besides, compared to other biochemicals based on sugarcane for instance, our raw material wood doesn’t require fertilisers, pesticides, or irrigation.
We are providing viable economic demand that will safeguard the future of forests for carbon capture and biodiversity in a sustainable carbon cycle. When combined with reducing our dependency on fossil feedstocks, this is a ‘triple bottom line’.
What is your current production capacity?
Overall, our production capacity is 220kt per year for the four products we will produce. BioPura MEG will be one product as well as Renewable Functional Filler which will replace mainly carbon black and precipitated silica within the rubber industry. Additionally, we will produce industrial sugars plus some UPM BioPura MPG (Monopropylene Glycol).
Which are your major markets?
We see both the European and Asian markets pushing for sustainable solutions. Obviously, the major production area for the polyester industry is Asia, hence we are dealing with individual polyester manufacturers to enable them to create sustainable solutions allowing them to differentiate themselves in a mass market. Besides, we are already in discussions with a variety of brands who have pledged strong sustainability improvements.
What applications do you foresee in future for textiles?
We believe, the textile industry is facing a major challenge. The polyester industry in particular needs to develop sustainable solutions. At the moment it doesn’t recycle any of its materials, instead it uses recycled PET from the bottling loop and claims it as recycled polyester.
Our BioPura MEG will enable them to produce a much more sustainable virgin bioPolyester. Ideally, this bioPolyester will be mechanically recycled at the end of life. If the polyester can’t be mechanically recycled anymore, it will hopefully be chemically recycled. During the chemical recycling process based on glycolysis, our BioPura MEG can be used. This enables a reduced carbon footprint in addition to being the missing puzzle piece to create a holistic circular economy in the polyester chain.
We are working with all partners within the chain to support their sustainability performance.
On the applications side, we see the sports industry with all its polyester use as the main application for our BioPura MEG. People who care about their health and enjoy exercising, have a strong desire to do this in sustainable clothing. We also see the outdoor industry as an attractive application. Just imagine going on a hike in a forest-based polyester outdoor jacket – it’s impossible to get any closer to nature!
Published on: 30/09/2022
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
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