Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has won a contract to deliver biogas upgrading and bio-liquefied natural gas production systems for two facilities in Finland being developed by joint venture biomethane firm Suomen Lantakaasu Oy.
The two plants will produce liquefied biomethane (bio-LNG) by upgrading raw biogas by removing CO2 and other impurities. They will then liquefy the methane for use as a low-emission transport fuel.
Located in Nurmo and Kiuruvesi, the projects are expected to produce 25 tonnes of bio-LNG per day, using manure and food processing waste. The remaining by-product will be repurposed as odour-free biofertiliser, returned to the farmers supplying the feedstock.
Source: Wärtsilä
Once operational, the bio-LNG will be used to power agricultural equipment and transport, contributing to lower emissions in farming and logistics.
“Wärtsilä’s focus is very much on shaping decarbonisation,” said Magnus Folkelid, Sales Manager of Biogas for Wärtsilä. “These biogas upgrading and liquefaction plants will have the capacity to produce significant levels of green fuel.”
Wärtsilä’s delivery scope also includes a 300 cubic metre storage tank and an export station for onward distribution. The commissioning company, Suomen Lantakaasu, is jointly owned by St1 Biokraft and dairy group Valio.
Finland has been increasing investment in biogas as part of its national climate targets. The government aims to scale domestic biogas production to 4 TWh (terawatt hours) by 2030, and bio-LNG is seen as a key fuel in decarbonising heavy transport. Suomen Lantakaasu is on its own targeting 1 TWh of annual production capacity by the end of the decade, while recent projects such as Gasum’s Nymölla bio-LNG plant are helping to expand regional infrastructure.
