Nordic energy company Gasum is expanding its biogas refueling network to the Finnish city of Joensuu at the beginning of next year. Gasum is acquiring a biogas filling station from Wega Group.

The ownership of the station will transfer to Gasum on 1.1.2025, but Wega Group will continue to operate the station for a few weeks in order to make the transfer of control as seamless as possible. Biogas deliveries to the station will continue from the BioKymppi biogas plant in Kitee, as before.

At the moment, it is possible to fill up with compressed biogas (CBG) from the station. CBG is suitable for refueling passenger cars and lighter commercial vehicles, such as buses and refuse collection trucks.

Gasum is, however, planning to construct liquefied biogas (LBG) filling equipment on the site during 2025. This will enable the refueling of heavy-duty vehicles.

“Biogas refueling possibilities are still limited in Eastern Finland, and there are practically no LBG filling stations. The acquisition of the station is an excellent opportunity for Gasum to expand its filling station network also in the eastward direction. The demand for biogas is growing throughout the country – the City of Joensuu is investing in gas-fueled low-emission bus services, for example. Our task is to ensure that the availability of biogas continuously improves for our customers,” says Juho Kurra, Head of Business, Traffic Finland, Gasum.

Refueling capacity will also be developed

Gasum is also developing compressed gas filling capacity at the station to ensure smooth refueling of new gas buses in Joensuu commuter traffic.

Biogas is a fully renewable fuel with on average 90% lower lifecycle emissions than conventional fossil fuels such as diesel and petrol.

Gasum’s strategic goal is to bring seven terawatt hours (TWh) of renewable gas per year to the Nordic market by 2027, many times more than currently. Reaching the target would mean an annual emission reduction of 1.8 million tons of carbon dioxide for Gasum’s customers.