Above, product manager Antti Heikkila holds what looks like a metal brandy bottle. Despite appearances, this is not a wine bottle, but a professional biogas measuring device manufactured by Vaisala for industrial use. Vaisala is a Finnish equipment manufacturer providing observation and measurement products and services for the meteorological, environmental and industrial measurement sectors.

Antti Heikkila explains: “In the process of converting waste into biogas, methane, carbon dioxide and water vapor are produced. Methane is a flammable gas and can be used in energy production, so it is of great interest in the extraction process.

Biogas is a hot topic right now. Under the premise of accurate measurement, it can be effectively used as an environmentally friendly energy source. In the atmosphere, methane is 20 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and rather than being released into the air, it is better to take full advantage of its combustion potential and turn it into a high-quality fuel.

Whether from the perspective of natural resources or economic resources, the effective use of methane can reduce the waste of resources, which is of great significance.

“In order to meet the growing demand for methane utilization in the market, Vaisala’s meters have responded by increasing energy output and reducing operating costs, thus making it possible to optimize the entire process.” “Heikkila said.

Broad demand

Vaisala was founded in 1936 as a meteorological instrument manufacturer. About 40 years ago, Vaisala incorporated industrial measuring equipment into its product range. Although the company’s current business operations are mainly export oriented, Vaisala also has a large customer base in Finland, including many industrial enterprises and municipal waste management and wastewater treatment plants.

At the macro level, there is a need for waste utilization almost everywhere in the world. The generation of waste will never stop, but it is also valuable and can play a positive role in replacing fossil fuels and promoting the energy transition.

“Urbanization, on the one hand, will lead to more waste generation, and on the other hand, it will make waste more concentrated, making it possible to implement waste incineration power generation schemes on a larger scale.” For example, in large waste treatment facilities, the production of biomethane is a highly profitable segment.” “Heikkila said.

From the micro level, the use of biomethane is also feasible. For farmers, farms can use biodegradable waste to provide their own heat and electricity. When it comes to fuel, consumers tend to be more interested in the topic of private cars, especially in the field of electric vehicles. Heikkila believes that biogas has great potential as a fuel for heavy vehicles.

“For heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses, gas engines are more practical than rechargeable batteries. For heavy vehicles of this size, the number of batteries required is huge, and transport operations are often interrupted because of battery charging. Most Finnish buses already run on natural gas. Compared to natural gas, biomethane is a more eco-friendly alternative fuel, and it has a promising application in buses.” “Heikkila explained.

From biology to bioeconomy

Rasmus Stoltzenberg, Strategic marketing Manager at Visala, noted that according to the World Biogas Association, more than 90% of biogas is still being used inefficiently. “Vast amounts of waste that could be anaerobic digested for energy production remain unused, while drilling continues to tap non-renewable reserves of oil and gas.”

As the use of biogas increases, changes to existing mechanisms require significant time and economic costs. Many factories will need to be built, but this will not happen overnight. Policy makers have a significant role to play in this regard, and they can incentivize society to actively adopt renewable and sustainable energy through economic measures. However, this shift cannot be entirely dependent on political decisions.

“When government subsidies are reduced, companies need to make biomethane a more commercially profitable business. This is the fundamental way to achieve permanent change. What Vaisala can do is provide customers with the necessary tools to help them achieve a true bioeconomy as they enter the biosphere.” Stoltzenberg concluded.