Pori Energia and Nordic Ren-Gas Join Forces in Project Development – Towards a Carbon-Negative Future with Carbon Capture and Utilization
Pori Energia Ltd and Nordic Ren-Gas Ltd (Ren-Gas) have signed a project development agreement regarding carbon capture and the production of renewable e-methane, green hydrogen, and district heating in Pori. The integrated production facility will be located on the Aittaluoto industrial site, adjacent to Pori Energia’s bio-power plant, providing excellent infrastructure for biogenic carbon capture and competitive carbon refinement into a renewable fuel.
Throughout 2023, Pori Energia and Ren-Gas have collaborated to explore the development of a production facility serving the green transition, consisting of a carbon capture and utilization plant (CCU plant) and an e-methane production facility. The technical and economic feasibility results indicate that the Aittaluoto site offers ideal conditions for carbon capture and the refinement of biogenic carbon dioxide into renewable e-methane. This e-methane will replace the use of fossil fuels in the road and maritime transport sectors.
The signed project development agreement enables efficient collaboration between the parties in developing the CCU plant at Aittaluoto. Ren-Gas will utilize the captured biogenic carbon dioxide in its e-methane production facility, generating a synthetic renewable gas fuel for heavy-duty road and maritime transportation, along with CO2-free district heating which will be supplied to Pori Energia’s district heating network.
In the e-methane production process, green hydrogen is produced from renewable electricity, which is then combined with biogenic carbon dioxide captured from the Aittaluoto power plant. The CCU plant and e-methane production facility will be built in the near vicinity of Pori Energia’s bio-power plant, allowing for effective carbon capture, and utilization of the process heat in Pori Energia’s district heating network serving 45,000 households.
Approximately 100,000 tons of biogenic carbon dioxide will be captured annually from the Aittaluoto power plant, equivalent to approximately half of its annual CO2 emissions. This enables the production of 24,000 tons of renewable gas fuel per year in Pori.
The production of e-methane generates a significant amount of CO2-free process heat, reducing the reliance on combustion-based district heating production in Pori. The project entails an investment of hundreds of millions, and creates employment for 15 people during operation. The renewable electricity powering the e-methane production facility will be sourced through long-term agreements with Finnish wind farms.
Ren-Gas, a leading Power-to-X project developer in Finland, has created a scalable model for e-methane production in collaboration with Finnish energy companies. The benefits of sector integration extend widely, capturing biogenic carbon efficiently from existing power plants and providing a competitive fuel solution for heavy-duty road and maritime transportation, reducing emissions by replacing fossil fuels. The heat generated in the process replaces combustion-based heating in Pori, reducing the use of both fossil and wood fuels.
Nordic Ren-Gas Oy’s CEO, Saara Kujala, stated: “It is exciting to advance this significant project in close collaboration with Pori Energia. Our goal is to invest in carbon capture together with Pori Energia, and Ren-Gas will refine biogenic carbon dioxide into e-methane at the same facility in Pori. The collaborative model we have developed demonstrates our ability to find solutions that create value for all parties. I am also thrilled that we can bring Ren-Gas’s extensive expertise in carbon capture and utilization to this project, enabling efficient planning and implementation.”
Pori Energia is equally enthusiastic about the collaboration. “We had previously conducted extensive research on carbon capture, and it is great that we can now advance the project together with Finland’s leading expert in the hydrogen sector. What makes this project special is that the end result is a plan for a carbon capture facility that meets the needs of both Ren-Gas and us.” Eero Niemitalo, Director of Energy Services at Pori Energia, comments.
The technical and economic feasibility of the project was confirmed with in early 2023, and the Aittaluoto industrial site was confirmed as the facility location during 2023. Following the signed project development agreement, environmental impact assessments will commence, with the goal of commencing commercial production by the end of 2027. Further information about the project and its progress can be found on Ren-Gas’s website: www.ren-gas.com/projektit/pori/.
For more information:
Nordic Ren-Gas Oy: Sara Soini, Project Development Manager, Phone: +358 41 548 0660
Pori Energia Oy: Eero Niemitalo, Director of Energy Services, Phone: +358 44 701 2105
Nordic Ren-Gas Oy is Finland’s leading hydrogen economy project developer, constructing a distributed renewable e-methane production network in Finland. The renewable fuels produced by Ren-Gas will reduce the use of fossil fuels in heavy-duty road and maritime transportation by approximately 250 million liters annually. The resulting clean fuel can reduce over one million tons of carbon dioxide annually in the transport and energy sectors. The energy source for the produced e-methane is obtained from Finnish wind power. www.ren-gas.com
Pori Energia Oy sells energy and energy-related services primarily in the Satakunta region. The company manages the electricity transmission for over 50,000 network users and provides district heating to over 50% of households in Pori. Pori Energia is committed to building a better life, with over 90% of its production becoming carbon-neutral by 2023. www.porienergia.fi
