{"id":7197,"date":"2023-05-04T12:42:45","date_gmt":"2023-05-04T12:42:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenreality.mauri.posso.fi\/teko\/450-times-around-the-world-without-emissions\/"},"modified":"2023-05-04T12:42:45","modified_gmt":"2023-05-04T12:42:45","slug":"450-times-around-the-world-without-emissions","status":"publish","type":"teko","link":"https:\/\/greenreality.mauri.posso.fi\/en\/teko\/450-times-around-the-world-without-emissions\/","title":{"rendered":"450 times around the world \u2013 without emissions"},"content":{"rendered":"

ETEL\u00c4-KARJALAN J\u00c4TEHUOLTO OY USES BIOWASTE FROM THE RESIDENTS OF SOUTH KARELIA AND SLUDGE FROM SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS TO PRODUCE BIOGAS UTILISED AS TRANSPORT FUEL. COMMISSIONED IN 2020, THE KUKKUROINM\u00c4KI BIOGAS PLANT HELPS THE OWNER MUNICIPALITIES TO ACHIEVE THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS BY REDUCING TRANSPORT EMISSIONS IN THE REGION.<\/span><\/p>\n

The biogas filling stations in Imatra, Luum\u00e4ki, Parikkala and Lappeenranta were opened in April 2021. During 2021, Etel\u00e4-Karjalan J\u00e4tehuolto sold 905,400 kg of biogas, amounting to 12,585 MWh of energy. With this amount of energy, a car could travel approx. 18 million kilometres, i.e. almost 450 times around the world without greenhouse gas emissions: the calculated CO2 emissions of biogas during driving are zero.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013<\/span> <\/span>The region\u2019s transport emissions had been identified as a challenge, and this biogas plant was one way of finding a solution, says Mika Suomalainen<\/strong>, Managing Director of Etel\u00e4-Karjalan J\u00e4tehuolto.<\/span><\/p>\n

Biogas for the needs of South Karelia<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Kukkuroinm\u00e4ki biogas plant is based on dry technology. The dry process is particularly suitable for the treatment of biowaste and saves both energy and water. The biogas plant has two lines: one for biowaste and one for sewage sludge.<\/span><\/p>\n

The plant processes sludge and separately collected biowaste from the whole of South Karelia. Etel\u00e4-Karjalan J\u00e4tehuolto takes care of the waste management of around 125,000 people and empties about one million waste bins each year. Recycling means reduced emissions and lower waste fees for residents.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013<\/span> <\/span>We only sell biogas in South Karelia. The benefit from the fees comes to us, and since we do not distribute dividends as a municipally-owned company, we can curb the increase in fees.<\/span><\/p>\n

Etel\u00e4-Karjalan J\u00e4tehuolto has been arranging waste transport through competitive tendering throughout South Karelia since 2013. The Lappeenranta area alone is divided into five contract areas, which have saved approximately one million euros of local residents\u2019 money through competitive tendering. There are about 30 similar companies in Finland, but few have such extensive services as Etel\u00e4-Karjalan J\u00e4tehuolto.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013<\/span> <\/span>Not all municipalities in Finland are yet covered by municipal waste management, but everyone will be in a couple of years\u2019 time with the new waste legislation, Mika Suomalainen says.<\/span><\/p>\n

A model region for recycling<\/span><\/h2>\n

According to Suomalainen, the recycling rate in South Karelia is among the highest in the country. Nevertheless, approximately 25% of the weight of dry waste is biowaste. When biowaste is dropped into the dry waste bin, it is loaded onto trucks and transported to the waste incineration plant in Riihim\u00e4ki.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013<\/span> <\/span>Approximately 5,000 tonnes of biowaste is sent to Riihim\u00e4ki every year. This amount could also be processed at our biogas plant, so it would benefit South Karelia. Unsorted waste only causes unnecessary costs for us.<\/span><\/p>\n

The treatment capacity of the Kukkuroinm\u00e4ki biogas plant is currently 19,900 tonnes, of which the share of sludge is around 13,600 tonnes. Each year, Etel\u00e4-Karjalan J\u00e4tehuolto collects 6,000\u20136,500 tonnes of biowaste separately. The biogas plant operates at the planned capacity, but the capacity could be increased from the current level.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013<\/span> <\/span>We could increase the raw material input by 20\u201325%. We know exactly how much raw material we are getting. Based on this information, we designed the biogas plant such that we can increase production by a quarter, Suomalainen says, adding:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013<\/span> <\/span>We would be glad to receive more raw material, especially sludge, because it is easy to process and the resulting gas is cleaner.<\/span><\/p>\n

By contrast, biogas from biowaste is impure and its quality varies from season to season. For example, citrus fruits generate a poison, which is a challenge for gas purification.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013<\/span> <\/span>The quality also varies depending on where the biowaste is collected. By contrast, the quality of sludge doesn\u2019t vary much, as poop is similar in Imatra and Lappeenranta, Suomalainen says.<\/span><\/p>\n

From home to the tank through many twists and turns<\/span><\/h2>\n

The journey of biowaste from a separate collection point to a gas car\u2019s tank entails many phases. Once the waste enters the biogas reactor, it passes through the process in less than a month. In total, 1,200 cubic metres of decomposing mass are constantly being digested in the reactor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013<\/span> <\/span>When your biowaste bag goes in there, it takes about three weeks for it to go through all the phases. But because there is so much capacity, it may stay in the reactor for up to 50 days.<\/span><\/p>\n

The biogas production process also requires some supporting raw material. Kukkuroinm\u00e4ki utilises garden waste collected in South Karelia, meaning twigs and branches that are used to make wood chips suitable for the process.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013<\/span> <\/span>Wood chips from twigs help to drain the liquid, as they enhance compaction in the drying screw. In addition, they form carbon, which is also needed in the biogas process.<\/span><\/p>\n

Crude gas is produced in the reactor around the clock, every day of the year. Methane accounts for about two-thirds of the crude gas and carbon dioxide for about one-third. From the reactor, the gas is pumped into an intermediate storage facility, from where it proceeds to the gas processing unit. Biogas refined into transport fuel is transferred to filling stations by tanker vehicles, with the exception of the Kukkuroinm\u00e4ki station, to which the gas is transferred via pipelines.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013<\/span> <\/span>Methane accounts for 97% of the gas coming from the gas processing unit. Carbon dioxide is separated from methane with a membrane separator, says Suomalainen.<\/span><\/p>\n

The nutrient-rich liquid produced in the biogas process can be utilised as a liquid fertiliser and soil improver. As a result of the process improvement, soil improvement products can also be processed from solid processing residue and recycled back into the soil of South Karelia.<\/span><\/p>\n

Demand exceeds capacity<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

According to Suomalainen, the demand for biogas produced by Etel\u00e4-Karjalan J\u00e4tehuolto is so high that the company\u2019s own production is not sufficient to cover it. Therefore, Etel\u00e4-Karjalan J\u00e4tehuolto buys liquefied biogas from Etel\u00e4-Savon Energia and feeds it to the filling stations when needed. One reason for the high demand is the low price of biogas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013<\/span> <\/span>Kukkuroinm\u00e4ki has the lowest price for biogas in Finland, \u20ac1.38 per kg <\/span>(13 February 2023)<\/span><\/em>. We want to keep the price low so that as many people as possible use biogas. Slightly over half of our gas goes to heavy traffic.<\/span><\/p>\n

The plant generates so much crude gas that it would be possible to produce 1.5 times more methane, but the current gas compressor limits the processing capacity. The Board of Etel\u00e4-Karjalan J\u00e4tehuolto has already made a decision to acquire a larger gas reactor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013<\/span> <\/span>With a bigger gas compressor, we can refine more gas and will no longer need to purchase gas.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is also possible to build a third processing line at the Kukkuroinm\u00e4ki biogas plant if demand continues to grow.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2013<\/span> <\/span>The third line is easy to build at the plant, but it would mean an additional investment of approximately \u20ac5 million, Suomalainen explains.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For more information, please contact:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Etel\u00e4-Karjalan J\u00e4tehuolto Oy<\/span>
Mika Suomalainen, <\/span>mika.suomalainen@ekjh.fi<\/span><\/a> , tel. <\/span>+358 10 841 1802<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":7199,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-7197","teko","type-teko","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n450 times around the world \u2013 without emissions - Greenreality<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"450 times around the world \u2013 without emissions - Greenreality\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"ETEL\u00c4-KARJALAN J\u00c4TEHUOLTO OY USES BIOWASTE FROM THE RESIDENTS OF SOUTH KARELIA AND SLUDGE FROM SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS TO PRODUCE BIOGAS UTILISED AS TRANSPORT FUEL. 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