Finland has opened its first industrial-scale plant producing liquefied biogas in Nurmo, with the facility capable of producing about 100 GWh of energy a year, developer Suomen Lantakaasu Oy said on Tuesday, Renewables Now reported.
The plant will turn waste from farms and the food industry into renewable fuel for transport and biofertilisers. Its annual output of liquefied biogas will be equal to about 10 million litres of diesel.
The facility is already producing biogas and has received more than 30,000 tonnes of manure from nearby farms. The process of converting the gas into its liquefied form is expected to begin later this autumn.
The project was developed by Nurmon Bioenergia, which is majority-owned by Suomen Lantakaasu. The latter is a joint venture between Nordic biomethane company St1 Biokraft and Finnish dairy and food producer Valio. Atria Finland is a minority shareholder.
Finland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment provided EUR 9.4 million ($10.9 million) in energy investment support for the project. The Ministry of the Environment contributed another EUR 101,800 for a tank used to load biofertilisers.
Suomen Lantakaasu Chief Executive Leena Helminen said the project links food and energy production while strengthening the country’s energy security and increasing the use of locally produced renewable energy.
The company said the project could also create new business opportunities for Finland’s food sector, improve farm incomes and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Suomen Lantakaasu plans to build a nationwide biogas network and eventually produce 1 TWh of renewable energy in Finland each year.
The company said liquefied biogas is well suited for heavy vehicles because it can store a large amount of energy in a relatively small volume.
