Espoo recycles organic waste
Espoo has a plenty of usable biomass that can replace imported oil and natural gas from Russia. Development Manager Tiia Tuuri assembles an industry ecosystem in Espoo that produces low-emission fuels and makes valuable nutrients circulate.
Juhani Piekkala, who pulls into the yard of Vermo with his estate Golf, turns on the gas pistol in accustomed manner and chooses a biogas option from the button. Soon the gas tank is full again. A 16-kilo tank of biogas lightened his wallet by just over 30 euros.
Biogas processed from nearby biowaste and sewage sludge is truly local fuel. When Juhani Piekkala was changing cars in 2019, gas car was a natural choice for a family striving for a sustainable lifestyle. From the beginning, the car has only been refuelled with domestic biogas.
Russian invasion of Ukraine has alerted many car owners into thinking how to replace fossil fuels of Russian origin. Biogas is a cost-effective option for the ecological driver. New electric cars are expensive, while gas car prices are similar to petrol-powered ones. An old petrol-powered car can also be converted to gas-powered.
Demand for biogas is growing rapidly. The task of Tiia Tuuri, Development Manager of the City of Espoo, is to increase the efficiency of recycling of the city’s organic masses.
In the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, household biowaste and sewage sludge are already circulating quite well by HSY, which is responsible for municipal waste management. However, much remains to be done to secure the supply of biogas. Tiia Tuuri presents a recent biomass mapping of the city of Espoo. It reveals that there is still a lot of usable biomasses in green Espoo, from lake reeds to horse manure and organic waste from companies.
– We want to expand the use of biomass. In addition to energy use, nutrients should also be utilised. The availability of fossil fertilizers has deteriorated due to the war, Tiia Tuuri says.
Promoting the sale of almost zero-emission fuel is also on Tuuri’s task list. Transport accounts for one third of Espoo’s emissions. To be able to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, it is worth using biogas alongside the electrification of transport, Tuuri encourages.
– In transport use, the value of biogas processing is the highest. And when there is demand, the recycling of biomass will also become economically viable, Tuuri says.
The demand for biogas - and at the same time the urge to recycle biomass - have been boosted in recent months by a sharp rise in the price of fossil fuels.
Ecofuel is also the cheapest
Juhani Piekkala says that he drives about four hundred kilometres with a full gas tank. As a petrol car driver, fuel costs would easily be twice as much. In the past, driving on ecofuel was an economic sacrifice, but since last autumn, biogas has been cheaper than fossil natural gas at petrol stations.
Electrification of heavy truck transportation in particular is technically challenging. In this case, biogas is currently the number one option. The City of Espoo’s recent life cycle calculation shows, that biogas is now the most economically viable fuel for heavy vehicles to be procured for the city.
Juhani Piekkala, who refueled his gas Golf in Vermo, revealed to be a true biogas expert. With the acquisition of the gas car, he became interested in the field and is currently working as an expert in the Työtehoseura to promote the use of renewable energy. He is currently working on a feasibility study for a new biogas plant in the Vihti region.
Utilisation in the early stages
The price of biogas has also been on the rise in recent months. Piekkala thinks it’s a good thing, as it encourages more production. Gasum has 17 biogas plants in Finland and Sweden, and smaller producers are operating throughout the country.
– But we are still in the early stages, Piekkala says.
However, there is a buzz in the market, for example, for utilising cow manure from dairy farms for energy production. ST1 has just started cooperating with Valio(external link, opens in a new window) and SEO Arla(external link, opens in a new window).
– Now you can do business with biogas and recycled fertilizers, Juhani Piekkala says.
The biomass mapping in Espoo listed many new uses for currently unused biomass.
“The City of Espoo plays a major role in harnessing the potential. It requires co-operation within the city, with other cities in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and with private actors,” states the biomass mapping summary.
Tiia Tuuri’s work to promote the recycling of biomass is more relevant than ever.
Replacing fossil fuels will improve security of supply and create new jobs. Also, when organic waste is processed into biogas and nutrients are recycled into secondary fertilizers, the nutrient load of the seaside town to the Baltic Sea is reduced.
– Increasing the biocycle is also protecting the Baltic Sea, Tiia Tuuri reminds.
What are Juhani Piekkala’s tips for improving the efficiency of biomass circulation in Espoo?
Piekkala encourages the use of unused raw material resources, but there is still room for more efficient biomass recycling. For example, now biogas is processed into an energy source for industry, but it would be more valuable in transport.
– There is quite a lot of biogas production in Espoo, but fairly little of it is used as transport fuel.
All city residents can also do their own share to make recycling more efficient.
– More than 60 percent of the biowaste of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area residents still ends up in mixed waste, Piekkala regrets.
Wet biowaste among mixed waste reduces the energy efficiency of waste power plants, and nutrients are also not utilised.
For more information:
The first city-wide biomass mapping in Espoo
Raskas kalusto liikkuu puhtaimmin kotimaisella biokaasulla (in Finnish)
The RAKKE project(external link, opens in a new window) supports the green transition from fossil fuels to alternative fuels by accelerating the electrification of transport and building a biogas ecosystem. The project has received funding to support Uusimaa’s Sustainable Growth and Vitality (UKKE).
