UPM tests conclude that biodiesel reduces tailpipe emissions

Forest industry company UPM has announced that its latest results from the off-road vehicle test carried out at Vuosaari Harbour in Helsinki, confirm that renewable UPM BioVemo diesel reduces tailpipe emissions.

The test on the Vuosaari Harbour focused on measuring the tailpipe emission of a Volvo wheel loader. UPM states that both the nitrogen oxide and particle emissions were around 10% less when compared to a fossil reference fuel.

The wheel loader tests using UPM BioVerno diesel were carried out in the harbour at the end of 2018 in collaboration with Oy M. Rauanheimo Ab and VTT as part of the Bio100 project.

Senior advisor at VTT Technical Research Centre in Finland, Nils-Olof Nylund said, “The average load of the wheel loader during the test was low. Heavier load would have produced more particles, and there would probably have been greater reduction in particle emissions while using the renewable diesel.”

UPM states that the results of the emissions tests depend very much on the type and age of the engine. Vice president at UPM Biofuels, Sari Mannonen said, "In previous engine tests, we have reached reductions of up to 30-40% in tailpipe emissions with UPM BioVerno compared to fossil fuels. During its lifecycle, our renewable diesel reduces CO2 emissions by 80%.”

"We are planning to continue off-road vehicle tests during spring at the Kaukas mill integrate in Lappeenranta, where the biorefinery producing UPM BioVerno is also located. In accordance with UPM's new brand promise, 'Beyond fossils', we are replacing fossil raw materials with renewable, wood-based solutions," Mannonen added.