Bioenergy 2018 outlook According to the European Commission’s Circular Economy Package, by 2030, 65% of municipal and 75% of packaging waste must be recycled, as well as concrete measures set to promote re-use and stimulate industrial symbiosis. In addition, simplified and improved definitions and harmonised calculation methods for recycling rates are presented in the Package. From the Finnish standpoint, the 2030 target is a real challenge. At Gasum, it is a challenge that we warmly welcome. Ambitious targets make technological advances possible and encourage new innovation — two of Finland’s noted strengths. Compared to other EU countries, Finland ranks well above the average, and is almost a leader in terms of technological innovation in cleantech. In addition, Finland places high among countries which provide the best conditions for establishing environmental technologies. In the circular economy, there is a growth potential of several billion euros in Finland. To reach this potential by 2030, systematic efforts must be made. In industry, raw material use and
product design must be planned in a way that enables the recycling of product and process side streams. Different industrial symbiosis and co-operation models enable further refinement of surplus and waste material streams from manufacturing, services and municipalities to maximise the value of these side streams. The population, in turn, is tasked with learning to use products and services that have been produced from recycled materials, avoiding the use of disposable products, and sorting and recycling their waste more efficiently. Gasum is a pioneer in creating a circular economy value chain integrating different actors together, where the waste generated by companies and municipalities is utilised locally as energy. Earlier this year, the environmental management expert Eerola-Yhtiöt became the first company in Finland to fuel its vehicles with 100% renewable biogas produced from its own waste. The company is using Gasum’s waste management service by delivering the fat, oil and grease sludge collected by it to biogas production.
Eerola-Yhtiöt has switched to biogas in its heavy-duty and light vehicle fleet. Biogas production is an excellent example of a functional circular economy. Gasum places emission-free biogas at the centre of its strategy, alongside liquefied natural gas (LNG) and natural gas. The vision is to build a gas ecosystem, with the aim of establishing a carbon-neutral society. According to some expert estimates, 17TWh of environmentally friendly biogas could be produced from waste and the side streams of agriculture and the forest industry in Finland. The potential is enormous and corresponds to one third of the energy used by Finnish road transport. The transition to a circular economy might very well help Finland become one of the most competitive countries in the world. To achieve this, a common vision is needed for the public sector, business life, and citizens alike.
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18 • January/February 2018
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Bioenergy Insight