Seinäjoki is the latest town in Finland for gas major Gasum Oy to open a gas refueling station as part of the company's gas refueling station network expansion in the Nordics. Opened on August 21, 2019, this new Gasum filling station serves both customers with heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) and passenger cars with biomethane and natural gas fuels.
in Finland, Sweden, and Norway by the beginning of the 2020s (image courtesy Gasum).
According to Gasum, the use of gas as a transportation fuel is growing considerably and plays an important role in the achievement of national and international emission reduction targets.
The strong growth in the number of gas-fueled vehicles on Finland’s roads is also continuing and Gasum is responding to the demand by expanding its gas filling station network towards the north by opening a new gas filling station in Seinäjoki.
The central location of the Seinäjoki station supports gas-powered road transport in western Finland and also towards destinations in northern Finland by offering inexpensive and low-carbon biomethane and natural gas fuels suitable for cars and heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs).
The growing gas filling station network offers more and more consumers and businesses the opportunity to reduce their transport emissions. I believe that the new station will result in more and more transport companies operating in South Ostrobothnia introducing environmentally friendly gas-fueled vehicles in their fleet, said Jani Arala, Senior Sales Manager, Traffic, Gasum.
Low carbon and better air quality
According to Gasum, the “transport use of environmentally friendly and inexpensive gas” can help achieve significant cuts in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Using fully renewable upgraded biogas derived from feedstock such as household biowaste, retail outlet food waste, and municipal sewage sludge can reduce GHG emissions throughout the fuel life cycle by up to 85 percent compared with conventional fuels.
In addition, the transport use of biogas and natural gas enables significant reductions in nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions as well as a reduction in engine noise, all of which add up to considerable improvements in urban air quality.
As forerunners in the logistics sector, we want to be leading the way for cleaner transport and utilize low-emission fuel alternatives as soon as they become available. The use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) will reduce our company’s emissions while at the same time the competitive price of the fuel will provide us with a valuable competitive advantage. Our customers are also increasingly interested in low-emission fuel alternatives, said Tero Mattila, Managing Director at Huhtala Logistics Oy.
Heavy-duty transport plays a key role in the Nordic logistics system. Heavy-duty road transport volumes are growing, and the sector currently accounts for up to 30 perent of Europe’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from road transport.
In order for national and international emission reduction targets to be reached, heavy-duty transport emissions will have to be reduced rapidly. LNG offers a competitive fuel solution for immediate heavy-duty transport emission cuts as its life cycle greenhouse gas emissions are more than 20 percent lower than those of fossil diesel.
The new filling station improves the conditions for gas use in the Seinäjoki area and will increase the demand for gas-fueled cars. Gas models can be found in all of the most popular car makes, such as Audi, Seat, Škoda, and Volkswagen. We’re happy to be able to provide a diverse service to those interested in running their car on gas, said Jyrki Viitala, Managing Director at Käyttöauto, a Seinäjoki car dealer selling gas-powered models.
