HELSINKI (News release) -- UPM Biofuels is one of six finalists for the Industry Leadership category in Bioenergy at the 2017 Platts Global Energy Awards - often described as the Oscars of the energy industry. UPM Biofuels is nominated for its wood-based low emission advanced UPM BioVerno biofuels, and its one-of-a-kind commercial scale biorefinery in Lappeenranta, Finland.

The Platts Global Energy Awards honour organisations and individuals who are dedicated to achieving excellence in the energy industry, recognising top performers - industry leaders and innovators in the energy industry.

The Bioenergy Industry Leader Award recognises a recent innovation in bioenergy that is market competitive, ecologically sound and minimises undesirable environmental impacts. The nominees must be producing or enhancing the application of bioenergy solutions. The judging criteria include challenges, financial results, innovation, leadership and operational excellence.

"Being nominated for this prestigious award recognises that our team at UPM Biofuels has managed to make significant progress in sustainable advanced biofuels. Using wood-based residues for raw material to produce sustainable drop-in biofuels is a fast track for reducing greenhouse gas and tailpipe emissions from transportation," says Sari Mannonen, Vice President, UPM Biofuels.

Platts received more than 200 nominations from more than 25 countries including Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Europe, Russia, Argentina, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, and the United States. Finalists were chosen by an independent panel of judges including former regulators, past heads of major energy companies, leading academics and international energy experts. The winners will be announced at this year's award ceremony in New York on December 7.

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