Finland-headed gas and energy major Gasum Oy has announced that it has begun work on building a gas filling station in Finnish Lapland’s biggest city Rovaniemi. Expected to open in early summer 2024, it will be the world's northernmost gas filling station.
The station in Rovaniemi is an important addition to the expansion of Gasum’s gas distribution network for road transportation in Northern Finland and in particular in Lapland.
The gas filling station in Rovaniemi will make low-emission transports with biomethane (aka renewable natural gas – RNG) possible across most of Finland. The station is also long anticipated by private gas car drivers, as it will enable travel around Lapland.
Stations in Northern Finland enable low-emission transports by gas-powered trucks for an increasing number of logistics companies.
Once the Rovaniemi station is completed, gas-powered heavy-duty transport will be possible across most of Finland. We aim to enable transport with biogas on all long-haul routes in Finland and Sweden. From the goods haulage perspective, Rovaniemi is centrally placed both for traffic in Lapland and transport in Finland as a whole, said Juho Kurra, Head of Business, Traffic Finland, Gasum.
On completion, the Rovaniemi station will be the world’s northernmost filling station selling liquefied gas. Gasum recently opened its northernmost filling station to date in Kemi.
The Rovaniemi station will sell both liquefied and compressed gas, which means it will serve heavy-duty traffic and passenger cars. Private gas car owners have for long wished for a filling station in Rovaniemi, as it will make it easier to reach the ski centers in Lapland.
The new station is located in the Teollisuuskylä industrial area near the E75 and is excellent for traffic heading both north and south from Rovaniemi.
Emissions reduction of 90 percent
According to Gasum, biomethane is a cost-effective fuel for heavy-duty transport use and is a here-and-now solution that can help transport companies cut emissions immediately.
Logistics and transport companies are in a key position in cutting Finnish road traffic emissions since they drive longer distances, and their emissions are many times greater compared to passenger cars.
Biomethane accounts for almost 100 percent of the gas Gasum sells to all vehicle segments in Finland. The lifecycle emissions of biogas are 90 percent lower on average compared to traditional fossil fuels.
Gasum’s strategic goal is to bring 7 TWh of renewable gas yearly to the Nordic market by 2027. This amount would mean annual savings of 1.8 million tonnes of fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
