Finland invests US$6.5M in Valio’s biogas plant

FINLAND – The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland has granted a total of US$6.5 million (EUR 5.6 million) in investment aid for carbon dioxide capture projects at Valio’s Nurmo and Kiuruvesi biogas plants.

The investment enables the next development step in Suomen Lantakaasu’s biogas plant operations. The captured biogenic carbon dioxide is intended to be utilised in the production of renewable e-fuels.

Under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment’s carbon dioxide capture investment programme, support was offered to industrial-scale projects aimed at the capture and utilization or permanent storage of biogenic carbon dioxide. The programme aims to accelerate the deployment of new technology in Finland.

Nurmo and Kiuruvesi biogas plants account for almost 25% of Suomen Lantakaasu’s goal to produce 1 TWh of domestic biogas. The plants process manure from livestock farms in particular, along with other agricultural and food industry by-products, into renewable fuel especially for heavy-duty transport.

The Nurmo and Kiuruvesi biogas plants are among Finland’s first plants producing liquefied biomethane. The plants offer farms in the regions an opportunity to use manure as part of a circular economy solution that produces renewable energy and returns nutrients efficiently for agricultural use.

Nurmo plant is owned by Nurmon Bioenergia Oy, which is majority-owned by Suomen Lantakaasu Oy, with Atria Finland Ltd as a minority shareholder.

The plant is Finland’s first industrial-scale production facility for liquefied biogas and one of the most significant industrial investments supporting the green transition in South Ostrobothnia in recent years.

At the Nurmo plant, manure from local farms, along with other agricultural and food industry by-products, is processed into renewable fuel for transport and biofertilisers that recycle valuable nutrients.

The plant has an annual production capacity of approximately 100 gigawatt-hours of liquefied biogas, equivalent to around 10 million litres of diesel. The Nurmo biogas plant marks an important milestone in Suomen Lantakaasu’s broader growth plan.

The company aims to build a nationwide biogas ecosystem and, in the future, produce a total of one terawatt-hour of domestic renewable energy annually.

Thanks to its high energy density, liquefied biogas is particularly well suited to heavy-duty transport and provides a fossil-free alternative to diesel.

The reception of manure from local farms has started successfully, with more than 30,000 tonnes received to date. The plant is currently producing raw biogas, and the next phase will be to begin liquefaction, which is scheduled to start later this autumn.

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