Gasum and HKScan plan to switch to manure-based feedstock at the Huittinen biogas plant

Gasum and HKScan are together planning to convert Gasum’s existing biogas plant in Huittinen to an industrial-scale manure plant. The proposed plant would be Finland’s first industrial scale biogas plant using manure as its main feedstock. The plant would utilize 60,000 tonnes of various feedstock of which 50,000 tonnes would consist of various manures and agricultural side streams. Basic planning of the plant will be completed at the turn of the year and the plant would be ready to receive manure-based feedstocks in autumn 2021.

In the regional circular economy project, Gasum will be responsible for the investment in and opera-tion of the Huittinen biogas plant and HKScan is involved in planning the availability of manure-based feedstocks with its contract farms. As one of HKScan’s contract partners, Emomylly Oy, HKScan’s contract pig meat producer, is also committed to the project. When completed, the biogas plant will produce renewable biogas and local organic recycled fertilizer for agriculture in the region.

”Our biogas plant project is an important regional circular economy project and aims at improving the regional nutrient balance and reducing nutrient runoff into the Baltic Sea. With a properly targeted supply of fertilizer, agriculture can reduce the use of mineral and fossil fertilizers. The investment de-cision can be made once the basic planning has been completed. Cooperation with HKScan and re-gional operator is important,” says Ari Suomilammi, Director, Circular Economy Finland, Gasum.

”The biogas plant project is a concrete example of the circular economy and protection of the Baltic Sea and will enable the valuable nutrients in pig manure to be recovered and supplied to crop farms with nutrient deficiency. Manure processing at the biogas plant will directly reduce the carbon footprint of pig meat production by more than 12%. We want to be part of developing future solutions in meat production. It’s great to continue planning work on our manure pilot with Gasum,” says Ulf Jahnsson, VP, Strategic development production at HKScan.

“It’s good that planning work on our large-scale manure pilot continues with Gasum and HKScan and that together we can further promote the more efficient recycling of nutrients. The project will help us among other things to find out whether it is economically sustainable to take recycled nutrients from a livestock intensive area to a crop farming intensive one. This is a concrete example of work to protect the Baltic Sea. We want to address minimizing the environmental impacts of pig meat production and to also be part of developing future solutions going forward,” says Heikki Sampolahti at Emomylly.

Business Finland has granted energy support of EUR 537,350 to the biogas plant project.