Gasum has inaugurated its latest gas filling station in Rovaniemi, Finland, marking the northernmost station selling liquefied gas globally. This new facility will enable the transport company UKK-Express, operating in Northern Finland, to start using biogas with two gas vehicles this year. The company plans to expand its fleet of gas vehicles in the future.
The Rovaniemi station, located at Energiakatu 5 in the Teollisuuskylä industrial village area near the E75 road south of Rovaniemi city center, is strategically positioned to serve traffic heading both north and south from the city. The station is equipped to serve both heavy-duty vehicles and passenger cars, offering both liquefied and compressed gas.
“This station in Rovaniemi is a significant addition to the expansion of Gasum’s filling station network in Lapland. It is now possible to significantly reduce emissions from road transport in Northern Finland with trucks operating on biogas instead of fossil fuels. Gasum’s goal is to enable the use of gas on all long-haul logistics routes in Finland and Sweden,” said Juho Kurra, head of business, Traffic Finland, Gasum.
UKK-Express Embraces Biogas
UKK-Express, which handles freight traffic between Lapland and Northern Finland as well as the rest of Finland, Scandinavia, and Europe, views the new station as a pivotal development. The company’s CEO, Jukka Uimaniemi, explained that the Rovaniemi filling station will facilitate the use of gas vehicles in the company’s primary distribution area for the first time. This year, UKK-Express will test a biogas truck and trailer truck, with plans to increase the number of biogas vehicles next year if the tests prove successful.
“We aim to significantly reduce emissions from our operations by 2030, and investing in gas-fueled vehicles has been in our plans for some time. As I see it, biogas is currently the only realistic alternative that makes economic sense to significantly reduce logistics emissions in the Northern Finland region,” Uimaniemi stated.
Cost-Effective Emission Reductions
Logistics and transport companies are crucial in reducing Nordic road traffic emissions, given their longer travel distances and higher emissions compared to passenger cars. Biogas offers a cost-effective solution for cutting road traffic emissions, with lifecycle emissions 90 percent lower on average compared to traditional fuels.
Gasum’s strategic goal is to bring 7 TWh of renewable gas to the Nordic market annually by 2027, which is four times more than its current capacity. This expansion could result in annual carbon dioxide reductions totaling 1.8 million tonnes for Gasum’s customers.
The new Rovaniemi station is a key part of this strategy, helping to pave the way for a more sustainable and efficient future in road transport across Northern Finland and beyond.
For more information visit www.gasum.com
