Ponsse Plc and Vieremän Lämpö ja Vesi Oy have signed an agreement on the supply and use of biogas. Commissioned at the beginning of this year, the Vieremä biogas plant distributes liquefied and pressurised biogas for use in industry and transport. 

Ponsse’s annual consumption of liquefied petroleum gas has been approximately 70,000 kg, or 900 MWh. Last year, the consumption of liquefied gas accounted for more than 90 per cent of the carbon footprint of production in Vieremä. The shift to biogas will reduce Ponsse’s carbon footprint by roughly 215 t CO₂-eq. (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents) and marks a significant step to achieve the carbon neutrality goal set for Ponsse’s production.

The municipality of Vieremä is currently building a raw gas pipeline for local farms. Ponsse’s pipeline connection and related modifications at the factory will be completed during summer and early autumn.

Industrial consumption also enables uses in transport

While biogas links local agriculture to the technology industry, it is not only intended for industrial consumption. A refuelling station for pressurised biomethane is already in operation. It can be used with debit and credit cards, and companies can acquire a corporate payment card. The municipality has ten biogas-fuelled vehicles and tractors.
“Through the use of biogas, we enable a shift from fossil gas to biogas for local industries and their logistics partners. At the same time, we can increase our municipality’s security of supply and replace heavy fuel oil in reserve power generation,” says Mika Suomalainen, Mayor of Vieremä. District heating in Vieremä is generated using chips as the primary energy source and biogas as reserve energy. Therefore, not only the replacement of the fuel used in surface treatment processes but also the reserve energy source used in district heating will reduce emissions from Ponsse’s production (by roughly 5 t CO₂-eq).

Currently, the municipality of Vieremä procures liquefied biogas from the Nordic energy company Gasum. This ensures the sufficient supply of biogas in all situations. The shift to locally produced biogas will increase along with the construction of local production. 

A paragon of the circular economy

Biogas production represents the circular economy at its best. Biogas is produced in an anaerobic digestion process at biogas plants at effluent treatment plants and on farms, in addition to which it is recovered from landfill sites. It can be produced from organic matter such as biowaste, industrial side streams, sludge, manure and field biomass. The material generated in the anaerobic digestion process is rich in nutrients and can be used as a recycled fertiliser on fields, among other uses.

Biogas is wholly renewable, and its lifecycle emissions are as much as 90 per cent lower than those of fossil fuels. Biogas is ecological because, when growing, biomass sequesters the same amount of carbon dioxide as is released into the atmosphere through its use.

Local production also strengthens the use of local domestic energy and increases self-sufficiency in energy, while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.