Major Biogasifier Project Planned for Finland

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Finnish energy companies EPV Energy (Vaasa, Finland) and Pohjolan Voima (Helsinki, Finland) have revealed plans to build a 130-megawatt (MW) biogasifier on the island of Vaskiluoto, off the west coast of Finland.

The biogasifier is the largest planned project of its type in Europe and will allow the Vaskiluodon coal-fired plant to burn biomass alongside coal in order to reduce emissions. The Vaskiluodon plant is jointly owned and operated by EPV and Pohjolan Voima. In 2009, the facility generated 1,344 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity and 658 GWh of district heat. According to the companies, biomass gasification is a new technology developed in Finland and has not been deployed on such a large scale before.

The planned gasifier, which will cost approximately 40 million euros ($51 million), will burn a variety of domestic waste alongside wood fuels, energy crops, and peat. The gas generated by the burning process will then be burned with coal in the coal boiler. When operational, the gasifier will allow the plant to reduce the amount of coal it uses by between 25% and 40%.

The companies have made applications to the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy for subsidies. A final investment decision by the companies is expected after the environmental permit and subsidies have been granted. Work is scheduled to start in 2011, and the biogasifier is scheduled for completion in autumn 2012.

"The Finnish government's subsidy package for renewable energy includes special support for power plants moving from coal consumption to bioenergy," explained Jussi Hintikka, executive vice president of Pohjolan Voima. "This subsidy decision expedited the project. It is important for us to find a way forward that allows us to continue utilising our existing coal-based capacity."

Rami Vuola, CEO of EPV Energy, said, "Gasification is a cost-efficient and quick way to move to bioenergy consumption in Vaasa. Emissions will decrease and new jobs will be created, especially in fuel procurement."

Pohjolan Voima is Finland's second-largest energy company and the main shareholder of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant operator Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) (Helsinki, Finland). The current Olkiluoto 3 nuclear plant project, which is being built by French company Areva SA (EPA:CEI) (Paris, France) as a showcase for its new European Pressurized Water Reactor, has suffered significant delays and cost overruns of billion of euros. For additional information, see April 21, 2010, article - Delays Strike Olkiluoto 3 Nuclear Plant--Again.

Last month, the Finnish government voted in favour of TVO's building a new nuclear power unit, Olkiluoto 4, one of two new nuclear plants to get the green light. For additional information, see July 6, 2010, article - Final Approval Granted for Two Nuclear Plants in Finland.

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