The Finnish forest industry is planning for a total of four new biodiesel plants in Finland in the coming years producing a total of 700 million liters of fuel per year sufficient to fuel up to 600 000 vehicles. One project has completed the permitting process and has been granted approval - the forestry giant UPM is to build a pulp residue biodiesel processing plant in Lappeenranta. Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2012. The UPM plant will produce 100 000 tonnes of fuel production in two years' time. Three of the four proposed biodiesel projects are expected to receive European Investment Bank and EU funding decisions at the end of this year. If all the plans materialize, the Finnish target to increase renewable sources in transportation to 20 percent will be met.
Finnish plans to ramp up biodiesel production come as Spain and Argentina are embroiled in dispute curtailing multimillion-euro imports of biodiesel from Argentina. Spain has indicated that they may give preference to European Union-produced biofuel in meeting compulsory motor fuel blending requirements. Industry sources estimate that Spain imported 720,000 tonnes of biofuel from Argentina in 2011, worth some 750 million euros. Argentina is the world's leading supplier of soyoil and soy-based biodiesel. More than 12 million tonnes of Argentine soybeans were used last year to make biodiesel, compared with total output of some 49 million tonnes in the 2010/11 season.
Sources: Helsingin Sanomat (with thanks again to my wife, Minna-Riitta for spotting this article), Reuters
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