Gasum biogas plants

"Municipalities and municipal waste management companies have an important role in promoting the production of Finnish biogas and transport emission reductions. At the same time, biogas production also enables municipalities to efficiently recycle biowaste,” says Ari Suomilammi, Director, Circular Economy Finland, Gasum.

Municipal biowaste from Rovaniemi, Ranua and Pello was earlier composted at a local landfill. Biogas production provides greater environmental benefits than composting since it also makes use of the energy released in the natural anaerobic digestion process. In the production process, the energy is upgraded into a fuel suitable for the tanks of gas vehicles. The residual solids or digestate remaining from the digestion process are recycled as fertilizers for local fields, for example.

"Efficient biowaste recycling and promotion of a circular economy are important themes for us to promote, and ones which biogas production can provide solutions to,” says Juha Torvinen, CEO at Napapiiriin Residuum.

Modern biogas plant enables efficient recycling of biowaste

Modern biogas plants provide an opportunity to efficiently recycle biodegradable waste. Using a waste pre-processing system, the Oulu plant can separate biowaste from the packaging. Biogas production can also utilize liquid biowaste.

The switch to biogas has resulted in Napapiirin Residuum revising its biowaste sorting instructions to residents. Biowaste can be packed in fruit or bread bags already found in the home. In addition, old yoghurt cartons can also be recycled with biowaste.

Fill up with biogas for cleaner transport

Gasum has invested heavily in recent years in developing biogas plants and in growing biogas production. Modernization of the biogas upgrading system completed at the Oulu biogas plant in spring 2020 means the plant can produce around 35 gigawatt hours of biogas. This corresponds to the annual consumption of around 3,500 gas vehicles. Use of biogas in transport can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 90% compared with using fossil fuels.

Making low-emission solutions available for transport purposes is a key aspect in biogas production. The northernmost gas filling stations in Finland are currently in Oulu. Regional biogas production and development of the road fuel gas market will enable us to expand the filling station network further north.

Preem’s vessels supplied with Gasum’s blend of renewable maritime fuel are the time-chartered tankers Tern Ocean and Thun Evolve.
“Maritime transport is an important part of Preem's operations. We are very pleased to be able to introduce renewable liquefied biogas into our fuel mix. This opportunity supports our high-end sustainability requirements,” says Anna Karin Klinthäll, Manager Trading Operations at Preem.

Using liquefied natural gas (LNG) as maritime fuel reduces emissions significantly compared to conventional fuel, such as heavy fuel oil. It improves local air quality and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 20 per cent when compared to conventional fuel. LNG is the most environmentally friendly fossil shipping fuel, meeting both current and long-term environmental requirements set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
By using 100 per cent renewable liquefied biogas (LBG), the emissions of greenhouse gas will be reduced even further. LBG reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85 per cent when compared to fossil fuels. 

“Gasum is committed to working for a carbon-neutral future and helping our customers to reduce their own carbon footprint by providing cleaner energy. We are happy to support Preem towards greener shipping and particularly their vision of leading the transition towards a sustainable society,” says Jacob Granqvist, Sales Director Maritime in Gasum.

Gasum continually develops its fuel offering and services to answer to the future needs of the maritime segment. The company will continue to invest in the LNG and LBG supply chain and work together with maritime partners towards a cleaner future.
 

Forchem supplies products for global actors operating in many different markets. The company’s operations are characterized by the principles of sustainable development and minimized environmental impacts. The liquefied biogas (LBG) is received at the Forchem reception terminal, vaporized and used in the company’s production processes. The switch from using LNG to using LBG can be made without any additional investments.

Biogas is a renewable fuel that helps to achieve significant reductions in the environmental footprint of enterprises

“This is the first time we delivered liquefied biogas, or LBG, to Forchem. LBG is an environmentally friendly fuel and we offer it for a variety of industrial needs. LNG and LBG can both be delivered using the same equipment, and the switch to LBG can be made without any additional investments. At Gasum we’re strongly expanding our LNG and LBG distribution network to meet our customers’ needs relating to their efforts to meet their emission reduction requirements. The construction of the LNG infrastructure also enables the introduction of LBG in the future,” says Sales Director Tommy Mattila from Gasum.

Liquefied biogas (LBG) is equal to liquefied natural gas (LNG) in terms of its properties and suitable for use as a road and maritime transport fuel and for industrial purposes. LBG is a renewable fuel that can be distributed by using the existing LNG infrastructure. By switching from LNG to LBG, industrial operators can achieve significant cuts in greenhouse gas life-cycle emissions. Biogas is produced from feedstocks including biodegradable side streams of industrial and other enterprises as well as from consumer biowaste.