UPM opened its Leuna biorefinery in Germany, described as the world's largest lignocellulosic biorefinery, with 220,000 tonnes per year of capacity.
The facility converts beechwood and sawmill residues into industrial sugars and lignin for renewable chemicals and fuels, according to chemXplore's project tracking.
The plant is part of a wave of biobased and circular chemical projects moving forward in Europe, alongside initiatives such as Perpetual Next and Air Liquide's large-scale biomethanol production agreement.
Biorefineries are increasingly positioned as a route to decarbonise chemical production by replacing fossil feedstocks with wood-based sugars and lignin.
The Leuna site is located in eastern Germany and forms part of the region's chemical industry cluster.
