Good potential for large-scale synthetic fuel production in eastern and south-eastern Finland
Eastern and south-eastern Finland have good potential for synthetic fuel production, according to a new report. The study region has significant renewable electricity production potential, and ample amounts of bio-based carbon dioxide—both of which are crucial ingredients for developing new Power-to-X (PtX) products. The end products of Power-to-X can be used both in the chemical industry and as transport fuel.
Radars related to border surveillance have so far limited the permitting of wind power in the region. The existing electricity transmission grid is also not sufficient to permit the full-scale utilization of the local solar and wind potential. Solving these challenges would enable investments in the scale of billions of euros, bringing new industrial activities to the area, increasing the energy self-sufficiency of Finland and improving the electricity grid balance significantly. The local actors (municipalities, companies, universities, research organizations) have organized and these challenges will be addressed in future projects.
The report describes the work carried out during the hydrogen valley study in the spring of 2022 in eastern and south-eastern Finland. The work was carried out by LUT university on the behalf of the local municipalities (Joensuu, Imatra, Lappeenranta, Kouvola, Kotka, Hamina) and regional development companies. The co-operation of the local actors in eastern Finland is seen as important to aid regional vitality and the renewal of the industry.
The study characterized the regional opportunities related to hydrogen economy in eastern and south-eastern Finland. The study charted the local industrial actors, current hydrogen producers and users, and most significant CO2 emissions. Using this information, the PtX production potential using renewable hydrogen was evaluated. The study region covers South and North Karelia, Kymenlaakso and parts of the Eastern Uusimaa (Loviisa, Porvoo). The goal of the project was to evaluate the possibilities and challenges to the development of local industry, as well as map plausible further actions to promote hydrogen economy investments.
The project had already started prior to the war in Ukraine. Due to the Russian invasion and sanctions arising from it, the project became even more relevant, among other things, because of the restrictions on natural gas, oil and wood imports. The war also limits the transfer of goods and travelling over the eastern border, which will affect many local companies. Then again, the crisis expedited the green transition, thus opening new opportunities to increase energy self-sufficiency, speeding up the fulfilment of climate goals, and enabling the development of new export products.
The final report is now available online: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-335-852-2
