UPM, BEE sign renewable energy deal

The Helsinki, Finland-based forest products company UPM  has entered into a conditional agreement with Blue Energy Europe ( BEE) to supply heat for UPM’s recycled-content newsprint mill in Hürth, Germany. The deal is expected to be finalized by the first half of 2017. The newsprint mill has an annual capacity of 330,000 tonnes per year.

As part of the deal, BEE will acquire a biomass boiler, turbine and generator from UPM's closed Myllykoski site in Finland. BEE will transfer the power plant components to a location near UPM’s Hürth mill and provide steam for the mill.

Anu Ahola, UPM Paper ENA’s (Europe and North America) senior vice president, Newspaper Publishing, says, "This opportunity is both economically and environmentally attractive. BEE's heat supply will be biomass-based and thus, its fossil CO2 emissions are zero. Additionally, it will decrease the energy costs of the Hürth mill.”

UPM notes that it has been seeking alternatives for use of the Myllykoski site and its equipment after closing the mill in 2011.

Blue Energy Europe, based in Germany, specializes in developing and implementing sustainable energy infrastructure projects.