Forest industry company UPM has developed a process, by which a wood-based diesel can be manufactured profitably on an industrial scale. The raw material for UPM BioVerno is tall oil, a by-product of pulp production. UPM BioVerno is derived from non-food materials instead of wasting food crops.
Tall oil is derived from the resin of tree. Crude tall oil is obtained from the process of pulp production in connection with the separation of wood fibres. BioVerno is manufactured from pine oil by hydrogen processing.
BioVerno is produced in Lappeenranta, at the UPM Kaukas mill. The biorefinery produces 120 million litres of renewable diesel.
BioVerno can be used in all diesel engines, with even better characteristics than mineral-based diesel. However, in Finland it is mixed with mineral diesel and can be fuelled in, for example, Shell gas stations.