Riihimäki biogas facility granted energy support by Finnish Ministry of Employment and Economy - now listed as one of Government’s key projects

The Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy (MEE) has granted the Riihimäki biogas facility project €5.38 million in energy support. This energy support was granted for the construction of a biorefinery, biogas upgrading and network injection of gas. The MEE has now also listed the Riihimäki biogas facility project as one of the Government’s key projects aimed at bringing the Finnish economy to a path of sustainable growth and rising employment.

An upgraded biogas production facility is being constructed by Gasum and Biotehdas at the Ekokem Circular Economy Village in Riihimäki. At the biogas production facility, Biotehdas will be responsible for gas production, while the biogas will be upgraded and injected into the gas network by Gasum. The investment totals €20.8 million.

The Ministry of Employment and the Economy (MEE) has granted energy support at €1.45 million for the Gasum contribution to the project – an entity covering the upgrading of biogas and the connection to the gas network with a gas pipeline that is around 9 km in length. At the same time the MEE has granted energy support at €3.93 million for the biorefinery of Biotehdas Oy, which will process 75,000 tonnes of waste every year. The biorefinery will process a new raw material fraction in the sector: around half of the waste will be organic matter – bio-rejects – separated from mixed waste. This enables advancements such as the implementation of the recycled biogas concept and the development of the biogas market with municipalities delivering mixed waste to Ekokem.

The biogas facility investment will commence immediately, and the first biomethane injection into the gas network will take place in October 2016. Once operating on full capacity, the facility will produce a total of around 50 GWh of biogas per year.

On January 11, 2016, Gasum Ltd and Taaleritehdas Private Equity Funds Ltd signed a contract concerning the sale of the Biotehdas biogas plant chain to Gasum Ltd.The transaction is anticipated to be completed on February 29, 2016. The Biotehdas biogas facility constructed in Riihimäki is part of the acquisition.

Riihimäki biogas facility listed as Government's key project

In addition to granting energy support, the MEE has now listed the Riihimäki biogas facility as one of the Government’s key projects. Under the Government Programme, the key projects aim to bring the Finnish economy to a path of sustainable growth and rising employment. The objective of the ’Bioeconomy and clean solutions’ key projects is to increase the use of renewable energy in a sustainable way so that its share will rise to more than 50% during the 2020s. This will be based, in particular, on the growth in the supply of bioenergy and other emission-free renewable energy.

The development of biogas production and the biogas market is a key element of Gasum’s strategy and business growth. The biogas facility constructed in Riihimäki will considerably facilitate the creation of the biogas market and enable the company to offer biogas to an increasing number of customers.

”The energy support granted and the listing of the Riihimäki biogas facility as one of the Government's key projects are proof of the Finnish State's strong commitment to the development of the Finnish gas market. As low-carbon energy forms, gas solutions play a key role on the journey toward a carbon-neutral society,” says Gasum CEO Johanna Lamminen.

For further information please contact:

Jukka Metsälä, Vice President, Biogas, Gasum Ltd
Phone: +358 20 44 78 656

Olga Väisänen, Vice President, Communications, Gasum Ltd
Phone: +358 20 44 78 628 firstname.surname(a)gasum.fi