Gasum and Biovakka to produce biogas for the natural gas network

Gasum and Biovakka have agreed to partner in the production of biogas for transmission via the natural gas network for use as transport fuel. Signed in Turku on 27 February 2009, the agreement also brings Gasum a minority shareholding of Biovakka Suomi Oy.

Biovakka’s business idea is to develop a rapidly reproducible operating model for bioenergy production. It constructs profitable and efficient regional bioenergy production plants in several areas around Finland and will later expand to Finland’s neighbouring regions. Biovakka currently operates two biowaste processing plants in the Turku area and aims to construct biogas production facilities near the natural gas transmission network.

The natural gas network can be employed for the use of biogas as transport fuel. In future biogas will be available at Gasum’s filling stations. Gasum has set the objective of covering the total transport demand for gas with biogas.

The first biogas facility in an area within the natural gas network is planned for Nastola. The investment totals around €10 million. The objective is to begin construction in Nastola in 2010 and launch production at the facility by 2011. Gasum and Biovakka aim to build four biogas production facilities within the natural gas network area by the year 2012.

The biomass used as raw material is sourced from Finland and mainly consists of agricultural and industrial by-products or originates from municipal wastewater treatment plants. At the production plant biomass undergoes a process of anaerobic digestion, with the resulting biogas then purified. Next the gas is compressed and fed into the natural gas transmission network. The end result is clean and renewable energy produced totally in compliance with the principles of sustainable development. The anaerobic digestion process also creates environmentally-friendly recycled nutrients that can be used in agriculture instead of chemical fertilisers.