About UPM

UPM’s mills use energy as electricity and heat. Most of the energy is consumed in the manufacturing of mechanical pulp, pumping, vacuum systems and products drying.

UPM generates all the heat and one third of the electricity it needs for papermaking in combined heat and power (CHP) plants operating on paper mill sites. Energy generation is based mainly on biomass-based fuels, such as bark and forest residues.

UPM’s continuous target is to improve energy efficiency. The mills have identified areas where energy could be saved and used more effectively. Building awareness, innovations, sharing ideas and best practices and small investments are important steps to better energy efficiency. Many energy-saving ideas have already been implemented in UPM’s paper and pulp mills as well as in plywood mills and sawmills.

Significant savings can be achieved with relatively minor, well-targeted investments. For example at the Rauma paper mill in Finland, recent investments in mechanical pulping process developments resulted in major annual energy savings equivalent to heating 10,000 houses.