UPM has introduced WISA-LNG Spruce, a spruce-based plywood engineered for the insulation elements of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) cargo tanks, addressing the sharp rise in global demand for LNG-grade plywood. The new solution extends UPM’s existing LNG material portfolio.
Developed jointly with GTT, the company responsible for widely used liquefied-gas containment technologies, the plywood has undergone extensive testing to confirm compliance with the specific requirements of LNG transportation.
Raija Rautiainen, Product Manager for WISA-LNG, noted that LNG must remain at extremely low temperatures to stay in liquid form. She emphasized that spruce and birch both provide effective insulation, durability, dimensional stability, and a lightweight construction suitable for LNG transport systems.
According to Thierry Valot, Group Innovation Vice President at GTT, material availability is a critical factor for LNG carrier construction. He stated that enabling the use of spruce plywood increases overall supply capacity and offers shipyards greater procurement flexibility.
The first application of WISA-LNG Spruce will be in vessels built with Mark III membrane technology, where it functions as a complementary option alongside WISA-LNG Birch. The product incorporates WISA BioBond adhesive, which replaces at least 50 percent of fossil-based phenol with lignin, lowering the material’s carbon footprint while maintaining required performance characteristics.
UPM has produced plywood for LNG carriers for nearly 60 years. With WISA-LNG Spruce now manufactured at UPM Pellos Plywood Mills in Mikkeli, Finland, LNG plywood production is spread across three UPM sites, expanding overall delivery capacity.
