Gasum’s first new gas filling station in 2018 opened at IKEA store in Espoo
Driving on gas is undergoing strong growth in Finland. Gasum has now opened its first new gas filling station in 2018 in conjunction with the IKEA store in Lommila, Espoo. The new filling station is part of the circular economy collaboration between Gasum and IKEA Finland where biogas is produced from food waste of Finland’s IKEA restaurants. In this context, gas filling stations are also introduced at IKEA stores, enabling the use of biogas in IKEA Finland’s own operations as well as for its transport partners and consumers.
The number of gas-fueled vehicles is increasing at a record rate in Finland, and Gasum is promoting cleaner transport by expanding the biogas and natural gas filling station network. The company is planning to open a total of 35 new filling stations in the next few years, with seven of these already open. At the moment, new gas filling stations are being planned for locations including the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Turku, Oulu, Lahti, Seinäjoki and Kuopio.
The cooperation between Gasum and IKEA Finland will result in the production of biogas from food waste generated in all of Finland’s IKEA restaurants. In addition, the cooperation aims to increase the distribution of environmentally road fuel gas to serve the needs of consumers and enterprises alike in conjunction with IKEA stores in Finland. The gas station opened in Espoo is the world’s first gas filling station opened in conjunction with an IKEA store. The Finnish IKEA stores are the first IKEA units at which gas filling stations are introduced.
”Our primary approach is to reduce food wastage at IKEA restaurants, but this enables the recovery of any minor amounts of food waste that are still generated. Cooperation with Gasum provides us with yet another way of creating a better everyday life in Finland,” says Country Sustainability Manager Tiina Suvanto from IKEA Finland.
The demand for biogas as a road fuel is growing rapidly. In 2017, the number of gas vehicles registered in Finland was around three times greater than the year before. Before 2017, there were fewer than 2,000 gas cars on Finland’s roads, while the current figure is already around 3,500. The number of gas vehicles is increasing in all vehicle categories. In transport use, biogas helps reduce the fuel’s lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85%. Therefore biogas produced in Finland is an easy and inexpensive way to cut carbon dioxide and fine particulate emissions from transport.
”Biogas is anticipated to play an important role in the transport energy solutions of the future. The State has promoted the transport use of biogas significantly through measures such as the energy key project support. Capacities for using gas as a vehicle fuel can be improved by increasing the production of gas and expanding the filling station network,” says the Finnish Minister of Agriculture and the Environment Kimmo Tiilikainen.
Circular economy providing cleaner solutions for enterprises
Utilizing food waste from IKEA restaurants as feedstock in biogas production and the gas filling stations constructed in conjunction with IKEA stores are an example of the circular economy becoming part of consumers’ lives and opening up new opportunities for businesses for cleaner operations. The new gas filling stations enable the future use of environmentally friendly biogas in IKEA Finland’s operations and to fuel IKEA buses and vehicles of IKEA’s transport partners and employees.
”It’s excellent that the first IKEA store gas filling station is now open in Finland. This increases the opportunities to fill up on 100% Finnish biogas and clean gas. At the same time, IKEA is able to utilize food waste from its restaurants in energy production and gets to increase the use of road fuel gas in its logistics,” says Gasum Vice President for Biogas Jukka Metsälä.
Utilizing biowaste in biogas production and using biogas and gas to fuel road vehicles provides enterprises with an excellent opportunity to implement the circular economy and reduce emissions in their operations. Natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel as particulate emissions from gas combustions are very low. Biogas is renewable energy made from waste and side streams, and its production also creates organic nutrient products for agricultural and industrial needs.
Gas is a convenient way for enterprises to reduce transport emissions, and the selection of gas vehicles available is increasing all the time. Volvo, Iveco and Scania presented their new gas-fueled tractor unit models recently, and the new gas bus models have also attracted plenty of interest. In addition, several companies have increased the number of gas-fueled vehicles in their distribution and waste logistics fleets. Finland’s best-selling car models are already available as gas versions, which is increasing consumer interest in the gas option.
At the moment there are almost 40 gas filling stations in Finland, with 26 of these operated by Gasum.
Source and more information: Gasum
