Media releases and news

Two new gas buses will start service in Helsinki Metropolitan Area public transport at the beginning of 2019. Gas buses are the most cost-effective way to reduce carbon dioxide and local emissions from urban transport.

”Gas buses are used extensively in areas such as Sweden and Central Europe, and demand for clean public transport is also growing in Finland. Encouraged by the positive experiences of other cities, we decided to order new-generation gas buses to also meet the demanding needs of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area,” says Technical Director Michael Andersson of the Koiviston Auton Group who was in charge of the procurement.

There are around 2,300 gas-fueled buses in Sweden and the total figure for Europe is around 17,000. The number is increasing across Europe. Up to 85% of alternatively-powered buses are fueled by gas, which makes gas currently more common than electricity as a fuel.

The buses now procured feature modern Euro 6 emission standard engines. Their operating range is almost the same as that of diesel buses.

”We’re very happy that Helsingin Bussiliikenne wants to take concrete action to cut transport emissions and gain first-hand experience in the new Euro 6 technology.  This investment also has a big impact overall on our national economy through our Finnish body manufacturing industry,” Scania Sales Manager Ilkka Korpela comments on the new-generation gas buses.

”Gas buses are an excellent opportunity for cities and municipalities to implement the circular economy as waste generated by cities and municipalities can be used in fuel production for these buses. For example, the amount of biogas produced in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area each year would fuel almost 1,000 buses. At the same time, various transport emissions would be reduced considerably,” Jani Arala, Senior Manager, Sales, from Gasum points out.

The EU will set minimum targets for the public sector's procurement of clean vehicles in the future. This will further emphasize the opportunities offered by road fuel gases and increase the demand for gas buses in Europe.

The objective of the Gasum Gas Fund is to support full-time research relating to education, research and development aiming to promote the gas ecosystem. Grants have been given out from the fund for researchers developing future solutions concerning, for example, the bioeconomy and circular economy, transport and logistics or energy solutions promoting the use of gas.

The aim is to support full-time research with full daily allowances. In addition, the Gas Fund seeks to provide long-term funding for research carried out by students. The Gasum Gas Fund is one of the special funds run and administered by the Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion (TES).

“Gasum promotes development towards a carbon-neutral future together with its partners. To reach this aim, it’s important for us that new researchers with capabilities for diverse thinking about gas progress in Finland. It was an honor for us to be involved in the process of selecting the grant recipients,” says Gasum CEO Johanna Lamminen.

Given out to seven persons this year, the grants from the Gas Fund totaled €40,800.
 

Grants given out from the Gasum Gas Fund in 2018:

Kimmo Arola, MSc (LUT), Advanced technologies for enhanced micropollutant removal and nutrient recovery in municipal wastewater treatment (€5,000)

Danielle Bansfield, MSc (Aalto), Exploiting the unexploited: improved removal of nutrients from the reject water of biogas production (€5,000)

Tharaka Rama Krishna Chowdary Doddapaneni, MSc (TUT), Evaluating the operational and economic feasibility of integrating the torrefaction with anaerobic digestion (€5,000)

Marjaana Hassani, MSc (JYU), Joutomaiden ja tienvarsien biomassojen hyödyntäminen biokaasulaitoksissa - Riskinä vieraslajien leviäminen? (”Utilizing wasteland and roadside biomass at biogas plants – Risk of alien species spreading? (€5,000)

Hannu Karjunen, MSc (LUT), Hiilidioksidin talteenotto ja hyödyntäminen synteettisten polttoaineiden ja materiaalien tuotannossa järjestelmätasolla (”Carbon capture and utilization at system level in the production of synthetic fuels and materials”) (€5,000)

Hamidreza Latifi, MSc (Aalto), Optimization of a New Welding Procedure in Clad Pipelines for Natural Gas Transmission (€5,000)

Alexander Sokolov, MSC (Tech) (LUT), Cold-Plasma technology for wastewater treatment and modification of organics. (€10,800)