Environment and Safety

The natural gas imported into Finland is 98 per cent methane, which is a greenhouse gas. Methane escapes into the atmosphere during venting, or emptying, a section of a natural gas pipeline. Venting is required when a pipeline has to be depressurised because of an emergency, maintenance work or when joining it to another pipeline.

Gasum  is aware that the company's business gives rise to environmental impacts. We have identified the adverse environmental impacts in natural gas transmission and are working to reduce them using environmentally aware technology as well as systematic network use and maintenance.

Gasum assesses the environmental impacts of network construction in advance and takes these into account in project planning and implementation. Gasum is committed to the ongoing improvement of the company's environmental performance, especially within the following sectors:

• adverse impacts relating to building natural gas pipelines and compressor stations
• methane emissions
• oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions
• safety and health

Gasum actively and openly informs local residents, customers and other interest groups of its operations.

Gasum’s quality and environmental management systems are certified and comply with ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001 respectively. The company became a signatory to the Chemical Industry of Finland’s Responsible Care Initiative in 1986, the Industrial Energy Savings Agreement in 2002 and, since the beginning of 2005, the Zero Accident Forum, which comes under the national industrial accident programme.

Replacing coal and oil products with natural gas has led to a marked reduction in acidification emissions, particulate emissions spoiling the air we breathe, and carbon dioxide emissions that fuel the greenhouse effect.  Were it not for the use of natural gas, Finland would require roughly double the current amount of coal and heavy fuel oil.  Use of natural gas has enabled Finland to halve its annual emissions of carbon dioxide, cut NOx emissions by roughly a fifth and particulate emissions by more than ten per cent.

Safety:

In Finland, particular attention has been paid to the safety of natural gas for as long as it has been used. This safety work has been a success: natural gas has not caused a single fatal accident in Finland. Also, except for a couple of cases, serious injury or damage to people or property has been avoided. The most typical mishap in Finland is the rupturing of natural gas distribution pipelines by excavating machines. In these cases, the danger arising from natural gas escaping into the air has not led to a serious accident.

The cornerstones of natural gas safety work are an efficient and reliable natural gas transmission and distribution system, operationally safe gas appliances, expert operating personnel, and continuous training and communication. The above-mentioned field is directed by legislation covering equipment and safety in the natural gas industry. Natural gas pipelines and equipment are very extensively and actively standardised, particularly on a European level. Much gas industry work is subject to licence. Competence requirements are set for those who perform work in the industry. Continuous and regular training is arranged for gas sector employees. Informing excavation workers and other parties operating near natural gas pipelines about natural gas and the issues to take into account is a very important educational task.

Gasum Environmental report