Gasum has opened two new Gas Filling Stations in the city of Oulu in central Finland. These stations are Gasum’s northernmost and significantly expand the company’s network of filling stations to enable gas-fueled long-distance transport from the southern regions of the country to the north.

The new stations have been opened in response to growing demand for gas in both passenger and heavy-duty transport in the area, and also contribute to the utilization of local waste and sludges for a renewable traffic fuel in the Oulu economic region.

The new filling stations in Oulu serve drivers at Tyrnäväntie 4 and Terminaalitie 1. The Tyrnäväntie station in the Limingantulli area provides compressed natural gas (CNG) and biogas, which are suitable for light vehicles such as passenger cars, delivery vehicles, refuse vehicles and buses. The Terminaalitie gas filling station in the Äimärautio district serves heavy-duty road vehicles with liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied biogas (LBG).

Adding to Gasum’s network of gas filling stations promotes the circular economy and supports national emissions reduction targets by helping Nordic transport to switch over to using cleaner fuel solutions.

“The filling station in Oulu is part of Gasum’s Nordic network for heavy-duty road transport and we see considerable potential to increase biogas production in the Oulu area. New gas filling stations ideally deliver the circular economy, fueling demand for renewable biogas in Oulu in different vehicle segments,” said Jukka Metsälä, Vice President Traffic, Gasum.

“We believe strongly in sustainability, which is why we have already invested in low-emission LNG vehicles. Improvement of the gas infrastructure in the Oulu region will certainly encourage increasing numbers of actors to switch to using environmentally friendly gas as a source of energy and enable the use of new solutions for logistics customers,” notes Ville Vähälä, CEO of logistics company Vähälä Yhtiöt.

Renewable natural gas cuts transport-related emissions

The new stations in Oulu offer drivers locally produced biogas made from biowaste, sewage sludge and industrial organic side streams. Use of biogas as a transport fuel makes it possible to produce up to 85% less greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional fuels. Use of natural gas in transport also reduces local emissions such as nitrogen oxides and particulates originating in urban transport.

Gasum’s biogas plant in Oulu currently produces a volume of biogas equating to the annual energy consumption of around 3,000 passenger cars. Gasum has supplied the gas to a biogas filling station which has already been in operation for a number of years and is owned by Kiertokaari, a waste recycling centre, in the Rusko district of Oulu. Besides Gasum, other companies are building gas filling stations in the area. These new stations will enable all the gas produced at Gasum’s biogas plant in Oulu to be supplied to different actors in the area for use in transport.

“Gasum’s new filling stations will strengthen the conditions for use of gas in the Oulu area both from the consumer and heavy-duty road transport perspective. I hope on my own behalf and that of the city to see increased use of gas in transport because this is how we significantly and cost-effectively promote the conditions for a cleaner future for people and the environment,” says Martti Korhonen, Chairman of the City of Oulu Urban Environmental Committee.

The Tyrnäväntie gas filling station is on the forecourt of Pörhön Autoliike. Matti Pörhö, Commercial Counsellor of Pörhön Autoliike, sees environmentally friendly biogas as being ideally suited to the long distances in North Finland, where the charging network for e-vehicles is still not adequately widespread.

“As a major actor in motoring in northern Finland, we have decided to take the bull by the horns and, in partnership with Gasum, site the gas filling station at our business unit in Oulu. We’re delighted that eco-minded drivers of gas-fuel vehicles will soon be able to fill up at a prime site in Oulu. There’s a demand for gas vehicles,” Pörhö says.

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