OULU’S BIOGASPLANT

A cost-efficient and futureproof waste management system

Watrec carried out a modern organic waste management solution to serve the needs of municipal parties, replacing obsolete technology. By utilizing its expertise and functional biogas facility concept, Watrec built a modern organic waste management solution that addresses the end customer’s current and future requirements.

Info

  • Oulun Biotehdas Ky, Gasum Ltd.
  • Year built: 2015
  • Capacity: 19 000 tn/a | 1,8 MW
  • Materials: Wastewater sludge, source-separated organic waste, organic waste from groceries, organic waste from food industry

Challenges

  • The plant was built on top of an old landfill, which made the foundation stable.
  • The plant was commisioned only with bio waste, which is a huge challenge for the process technology

Solutions

  • All the buildings were pile-driven
  • Commisioning was designed in a detailed manner, and every day had its different amounts of feed-in material

A private biogas facility solution for a municipal waste management company

When Oulu’s Waste Management Ltd wanted a cost-efficient and modern solution for managing organic waste in multiple municipalities, it held a call for tenders to build a biogas facility. The tender was won by Biotehdas, and it chose Watrec as a partner for carrying out the operation to continue the successes of many previous joint biogas facility projects.

The Oulu Waste Management Ltd had an existing network for distributing landfill gas, and they also participated in the project by buying biogas.

Newer and more economical technology

Before the biogas facility was built, the Oulu Waste Management Ltd used a compost hall for processing organic waste. However, the hall has at the end of its life span, and the processing technology began to be obsolete. A biogas facility is also more economical: composting consumes energy, whereas a biogas facility produces it. Biogas facilities are also closed systems, thanks to which problems with smell are significantly smaller compared to composting.

A solution to technically challenging construction

The facility that Watrec built in Oulu utilized the same concept that was already created for a similar facility built in Kuopio. Its functionality has since been proved in multiple facilities.

Unlike in Kuopio, the factory in Oulu utilizes assets that were already present. Oulu’s old composting facility was renovated, and the space was put to use by e.g. situating all preliminary processing of biogas there. This type of solution was completely new for Watrec, but it was made to work, and Watrec’s know-how was once again increased.

Another feature that made the project different from Watrec’s previous biogas facilities was the unusual construction spot: the facility was built on top of an old garbage hill. The fact that the municipality is located to the North of Finland, and that the facility was built during the winter had to also be taken into account. The location of the site and winter construction created their own problems for construction. By monitoring all design work as the head coordinator, Watrec, together with its network of cooperation partners, was able to stand up to these challenges.

Addressing future requirements

There was fairly urgent need for a biogas facility in Oulu, and locals wanted to have it built quickly. The waste management company of Oulu had an existing permit for processing 20 000 tons of organic waste. A facility that exceeds that amount would have required a new permit and an evaluation of its effects on the environment, and the construction would have needed to have been delayed until the permit was received. Because of this, a smaller facility with only one reactor was built. However, if there is need for larger organic waste processing capacity in the future, the facility is designed from the ground up so that its total capacity can be easily and inexpensively expanded to 60 000 tons, without needlessly increasing investment costs.

“This biogas facility offers many benefits compared to our old composting facility. Because it is a closed process, the facility’s environmental emissions can be controlled and utilized. It is also smell-free, unlike composting. Furthermore, whereas heat energy created by composting was wasted, the biogas created by the new facility can be utilized.”

– Markku Illikainen, CEO, Oulu Waste Management Ltd

Waste management solution that brings reliability and functionality

HONKAJOKI BIOGASPLANT

Practical experience has proved Watrec’s solutions’ reliability and functionality in treatment of municipal solid waste and industries side streams. Honkajoki Biogas Plant was delivered to serve the needs of the municipality and the food industry. The plant enables a long-term cooperation which ensures reliable and consistent waste treatment for the clients.

A cost-efficient and futureproof waste management system

OULU'S BIOGASPLANT

Watrec carried out a modern organic waste management solution to serve the needs of municipal parties, replacing obsolete technology. By utilizing its expertise and functional biogas facility concept, Watrec built a modern organic waste management solution that addresses the end customer’s current and future requirements.

Challenges of the rapid growth

OULU EXPANSION

2016 the plant faced a situation where it needed an expansion to the treatment capacity to be able to treat all the waste that was coming in. The capacity had to be tripled, which took the plant’s efficiency to a whole new level.

Watrec Ltd

Nikkilänkatu 5 F, 30100 Forssa