BIOTUTO – "Boosting recycled nutrients and local bioenergy production through collaboration" project places particular emphasis on advancing biogas plant investments. The project is a group project. The region, which includes Haapajärvi, Kärsämäki, Nivala, Pyhäjärvi, Reisjärvi, and Sievi, has significant potential for biogas production. This potential has also attracted interest in large-scale investments. In Nivala, the decision to invest in what could become Finland’s largest biogas plant is close, with government support exceeding 26 million euros already granted by the Finance Committee.
Meanwhile, in Kärsämäki and Reisjärvi, feasibility studies and plans for biogas plants are progressing well. In Pyhäjärvi, the inauguration of a biogas plant was already celebrated last spring, in May 2024. All of this highlights the enormous potential of the region for renewable energy and biomass, particularly in the biogas sector.
Last fall, a common well survey was conducted in cooperation with WEGA Group. The survey focused on the needs of common well projects and targeted farmers in Nivala, Haapajärvi, Sievi, Kärsämäki, Haapavesi, and Ylivieska. According to the survey responses, a common well project would facilitate collaboration between biogas plants and farmers!
The survey provided valuable information related to biogas investments and energy economy solutions. It identified regional raw material potential, local needs, and possibilities for developing logistical solutions from the perspective of shared digesters. The findings have already been utilized, for example, in planning a remote digester operator (a new regional business) and later applying for investments through this development. From the perspective of regional development, this further strengthens the project’s impact on enhancing the vitality of the area.
As part of the BIOTUTO project, the report "Accessibility of agricultural manure and field by-product streams for sustainable biogas production – a GIS-based examination in the southern part of Northern Ostrobothnia" was published (only in Finnish) in the University of Oulun Kerttu Saalasti Institute's publication series. The report was authored by Anne-Mari Riikonen, Ossi Kotavaara, and Ulla Lehtinen. It provides an in-depth analysis, using GIS data, of the accessibility of agricultural raw material streams for biogas production in the region.
The results support the project’s objectives to promote regional biogas plant investments and develop self-sufficient energy solutions. Findings indicate that the southern part of Northern Ostrobothnia offers excellent raw material potential for biogas production. This creates significant opportunities not only for the bioeconomy but also for regional development and carbon neutrality of farms. A key goal of the project is to create a model for a carbon-neutral self-sufficient energy farm suitable for Finnish conditions, which should also be replicable.
In our project area, approximately 950 farms could potentially produce biomass for biogas and biofuel production in the future. This number of farms would not only support renewable energy production but also provide new business opportunities for the agricultural and logistics sectors, primarily in the form of various transportation needs.
As part of the BIOTUTO project’s initiatives, various events are organized to increase awareness of biogas and its production in the region. This spring, such an event is planned in the form of a Biogas Day at JEDU’s campus in Haapajärvi, where all parties and projects involved in similar activities are also invited.
JEDU’s campus is an excellent venue for a public event, as it features both a teaching farm and its own biogas plant, which visitors can explore. JEDU also has biogas-powered cars, one of which was purchased ready-to-use, while the other was converted with a retrofit kit, showcasing how existing cars, whether diesel or gasoline-powered, can be converted to run on gas. Additionally, a brand-new biogas tractor is in use for farm work. These events offer an engaging way to learn more about biogas production and network with others interested in the field.
The BIOTUTO project is a collaborative effort involving a multidisciplinary and multi-location team, emphasizing research and information sharing. Participants include Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oamk), the Nivala-Haapajärvi region NIHAK, and the Federation of Education in Jokilaaksot (JEDU) in Haapajärvi, in collaboration with the Kerttu Saalasti Institute of the University of Oulu.
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You can find more information about the project on the website.
Report (only in Finnish): Riikonen, Anne-Mari; Kotavaara, Ossi; Lehtinen, Ulla: Maatalouden lanta- ja peltosivuvirtojen saavutettavuus kestävän biokaasutuotannon kannalta – paikkatietopohjainen tarkastelu Pohjois-Pohjanmaan eteläisessä osassa. Oulun yliopiston Kerttu Saalasti Instituutin julkaisuja 1/2025.
Author: Heidi Pasanen, Engineer (Bachelor´s Degree of University of Applied Sciences), Agrologist (Master´s Degree of University of Applied Sciences), Project Manager, the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute, Micro-entrepreneurship Centre MicroENTRE
Photo: Heidi Pasanen
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