Gasum and Biovakka have launched the process to design a biogas facility to be constructed in Nastola, Finland. The two partners have selected the consulting and engineering company Elomatic Ltd as the principal designer of the EUR10 million project.  The first of its kind in Finland, the biogas facility is scheduled to begin production of 100% Finnish renewable transport fuel in 2011.

Production at the facility will be based on a process of anaerobic digestion of biomass, with raw materials to be used including sludge from municipal purification plants and other biodegradable fractions. The facility will have annual capacity to process 120,000 tonnes of biomass and generate around 50 GWh of energy from biogas. A by-process of the system will produce recycled nutrients that are ideal for use in crop farming.

– At the new biogas facility raw materials that have so far been utilised at low rates can be fully recycled and their energy content employed for power generation. The facility will have a variety of positive environmental impacts and promote sustainable development. One of the most significant benefits will be the ability to produce fuels to replace fossil fuels such as oil, which is also one of the objectives set in Finland's National Climate and Energy Strategy. In crop farming recycled nutrients can be used instead of chemical fertilisers and therefore help save the world's depleting phosphorus resources, says Jyrki Heilä, Chairman of the Biovakka Board.

To be constructed in Nastola, the facility will be the first biogas plant in Finland to produce biogas that can be injected into the natural gas network. The biogas produced by the plant's anaerobic digestion process will be purified and its relative methane content increased. The properties of processed biogas correspond to those of natural gas, enabling it to be transmitted in the natural gas network.

The biogas produced by the Nastola facility will be used as transport fuel. In future biogas injected into the natural gas network will be sold at every Gasum natural gas vehicle (NGV) filling station. Gasum currently operates 13 stations and aims to double the number within the next few years.

– The excellent properties of biogas can best be employed as transport fuel. It is essential that this is taken into consideration in the drafting of Finland's new legislation on production support for electricity generated using renewable sources. In its current form, the Government proposal only includes electricity generated using biogas within the scope of production support. This involves the danger of it not being feasible to process biogas for use as transport fuel in the future, says Björn Ahlnäs, Vice President, New Ventures, Gasum Oy.

Finnish biogas could help cover one-fifth of the obligation set by the EU for a 10% increase in the share of renewables in transport by 2020.

Jyrki Heilä, Chair, Board of Directors, Biovakka Suomi Oy, phone +358 (0)400 533 213
Harri Hagman, Managing Director, Biovakka Suomi Oy, phone +358 (0)50 542 7777
Björn Ahlnäs, Vice President, New Ventures, Gasum Oy, phone +358 (0)400 403 319
Pasi Torri, Head of Business Unit, Energy Gases, Gasum Oy, phone +358 (0)50 409 8672