Nordic energy company Gasum is expanding its biogas portfolio by acquiring two thirds of the shares in Swedish company Liquidgas Biofuel Genesis AB. Liquidgas Biofuel Genesis owns and operates a biogas upgrading plant in the city of Helsinborg in southern Sweden.

The plant’s other owner with one third of the shares is Nordvästra Skånes Renhållningsbolag AB (NSR), the regional waste management company. NSR has leased a biogas plant to Biond AB who produces raw biogas from the biodegradable waste it collects from households and industries in the area and then the raw biogas is sold to Liquidgas Biofuel Genesis for upgrading.

The plant’s annual output is currently approximately 80 gigawatt hours (GWh) worth of upgraded biogas. The plant is connected to a low pressure grid and all upgraded biogas is currently distributed through the grid to local filling stations.

Gasum also intends to investigate the possibility of liquefying the gas on site at some point in the future.

“This acquisition is another important step on the path to implementing our strategy of bringing more renewable gas to the Nordic market. Interest in biogas is constantly growing as more and more transport and logistics operators as well as industry actors realize its potential to reduce emissions right now instead of in ten years’ time. The Helsingborg upgrading operation is a great addition to the Gasum biogas portfolio in Sweden, where we are also investing heavily in greenfield biogas plant projects in coming years”, says Mika Wiljanen, CEO of Gasum.

“We look forward to working with Gasum, an experienced and strong player in the biogas industry. This partnership gives us excellent opportunities to develop our biogas upgrading business in Helsingborg. The collaboration can contribute to the long-term development of green transports in the region”, says Ulf Molén, CEO of NSR AB, co-owner of Liquidgas Biofuel Genesis AB.

The acquisition is part of Gasum’s strategic goal to bring seven terawatt hours (7 TWh) of renewable gas to market yearly by 2027. Gasum aims to achieve this by increasing its own biogas production as well as sourcing from trusted partners. Gasum is currently constructing the first of five large new biogas plants in Götene, Sweden.

Achieving the 7 TWh goal would mean a cumulative carbon dioxide reduction of 1.8 million tons per year for Gasum’s customers. The lifecycle emissions of biogas are on average 90% lower compared to traditional fossil fuels.

“Our strategic partnership with Gasum means that the conditions for a circular economy and a sustainable use of resources are strengthened for the whole of northwestern Scania. I am very pleased about that”, says Rikard Lind, NSR AB’s Chairman of the Board.