Pulp & Beyond offers new encounters, inspiration, networking and business possibilities for marketing global and sustainable solutions, products and services within the forest-based bioeconomy. The event provides the widest available showcase on the latest trends and innovative new products within the forest-based bioeconomy, supporting learning, employer branding and competence development.

Fimpec’s specialists are available to engage in discussions on current industry topics. We welcome you to visit us at booth C21, where we look forward to exploring potential collaborations and opportunities together.

» Explore more about the exhibition at Pulp and Beyond  and register your attendance at Pulp & Beyond Registration.

We are excited to see you in Helsinki!

Contact us:

Pasi Varkila, Sales and Project Manager, Engineering services
Phone: +358 40 739 7892
pasi.varkila(at)fimpec.com

Sami Ström, Business Unit Director, Batteries and critical minerals
Phone: +358 40 596 5029
sami.strom(at)fimpec.com

Luis Rudolphy, Chief Sales Officer, International sales
Phone: +358 40 197 2323
luis.rudolphy(at)fimpec.com

The President of Estonia Alar Karis with CEO of HeatConsult OÜ Igor Krupenski. Image: Enerhack

Fimpec participated for the second time as a partner in organizing the Enerhack camp. The camp held in January 2024 was aimed at inspiring young girls to explore the fields of engineering and energy technology in a safe and encouraging environment. Over 300 girls gathered to discuss interesting and diverse topics such as thermal energy, renewable energy sources, and energy consumption in transportation.

The teaching was conducted through both practical examples and lectures. Participants had the opportunity to take part in various workshops where they could explore engineering work under guidance, for example, by conducting small experiments in chemistry workshops and solving problems in the field of robotics.

Towards a more sustainable future

Fimpec, along with its subsidiary HeatConsult OÜ, supports the Enerhack Camp for Kids with the goal of raising interest in a sustainable future and the energy sector, and to encourage children and youth – this time especially young girls– to get involved with these important topics from an early age.

HeatConsult has been supporting the project since 2021 under the leadership of the company’s CEO and the president of the Estonian Engineers’ Association, Igor Krupenski. He also gives lectures at Tallinn University of Technology and emphasizes that events aimed at youth and children have a significant impact on the future of the industry.

“It is crucial that we encourage kids and especially girls to pursue careers in engineering and the energy sector from a young age. We need to break down stereotypes associated with engineering and inspire girls to boldly venture into science and technology so that we can have a diverse group of professionals building a more sustainable society in the future”, says Krupenski.

A spark for future talents

In addition to workshops, the camp featured guest lectures on various topics such as sustainability. Krupenski notes the importance of role models in inspiring young girls to develop an interest in science and technology.

“Nearly all speakers were accomplished female leaders and pioneers in their fields, who shared inspiring stories of their career paths. Representing HeatConsult was District Heating and Gas Supply Project Manager Katre Keridan, whose presentation focused on how to produce and distribute heating in a sustainable way”, Krupenski mentions.

Among other notable guests and speakers at the camp was the President of Estonia, Alar Karis, who engaged in discussions with the children and participated in workshops. In previous years, the event has also hosted former Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid (2016–2021), Minister of Education and Science Kristiina Kallas and European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson.

According to Krupenski, the camp has already inspired future talents to take an interest in energy technologies and engineering.

“I already teach students at the university, who have participated in Enerhack camp in previous years. The program is sparking results and change, and inspiring future generations to take the lead. After their studies, the young engineers are welcomed to apply to work in HeatConsult and Fimpec group”, Krupenski rejoices.

Raine Luomanen, Fimpec’s Power 2 X expert sees hydrogen as a basic energy carrier that can be converted into novel energy products that best suits the situation, so called e-fuels.
We are talking about producing hydrogen out of excess or in the time cheaper electricity, storing it to be later turned back into electricity or refining it further into methanol for heavier transport such as ships, or ammonia for transporting and further products. Yes, hydrogen can even be used to mass produce edible protein via a single-celled bacterium, i.e. converted into energy-based food. And the food industry is already involved in financing this development.

– We in Sweden and Finland have a unique opportunity here. With all the potential hydro, solar and wind power in the Nordic regions, there is a tremendous potential for the export of green energy as Hydrogen to continental Europe. It will be a question of huge investments that will probably also tie Sweden and Finland closer together as energy suppliers. I usually compare hydrogen with pulp, which is the basic starting material for almost all different paper industry materials that we use in our everyday lives. And to some extent the analogy is similar as in the same way, hydrogen is the common denominator for much of the new green energy derivatives such as e-fuels, Raine comments.

– So far, the great uncertainty is where the prices for hydrogen will trade in the near future. When this future will be more “bankable”, many of the pieces and plans will fall into place. But there is a lot that drives this development. Major international shipyards have already started building ships with methanol engines, and it is also possible to convert existing fossil-fueled vessels to, for example, run on methanol, Raine continues. All this is driven by tough new legislation.

As an example, from the first of January this year, the EU’s ETS legislation began to impose an additional environmental tax on all ship transports with Co2 emissions. The tax will be gradually increased each year. It will be another big motivator for businesses to find green alternatives.

As of now the process is underway on both the Swedish and Finnish sides to build up a vast hydrogen network. Building permits are in hearing and the first stretches are planned to be completed in 2030, mainly in northern Sweden and Finland. In the mid-long term, they will be linked together, and form a hydrogen route to Central Europe, the sk. “Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen collector”. The process of building hydrogen plants in Finland has also begun, i.e. plants where green electricity is converted into hydrogen. By the time we get to 2030-35, there will be several in operation, which will result in hydrogen production on a large scale, and is required to achieve all the needed Co2 cuts.

In other parts of Europe, Germany, which has and will have a great need for green energy, is of course a huge potential customer for the Nordic countries. According to EUs calculations, Germany alone will need over 80 TWh of green energy in the form of hydrogen in the 2040s, while it is estimated that it can only produce some 20 TWh itself. The simultaneous dismantling of Russian fossil gas and local nuclear power has created a great need for these alternatives.

– I would like to say that Sweden and Finland will in the not-so-distant future have a so-called “Norway moment” as we can supply large parts of Europe with competitive green hydrogen energy. We are very fortunate up here in the north, with all the green energy potential that we have. In particular the areas around the Gulf of Bothnia will become a center for European green energy, and hydrogen is the form how this energy will be transported to distant users. Now it’s just a matter of finding financing and above all trained staff for everything that needs to be built, Raine concludes.

For more information
Raine Luomanen
Lead Consultant, Power2X
+358 44 7800 193
Raine.Luomanen(at)fimpec.com

The concept of a hydrogen economy has been familiar since the 1960s and 70s. In its current context, the primary goal of the hydrogen economy is to replace fossil hydrogen with emission-free hydrogen, particularly in hard-to-electrify sectors such as maritime and aviation, substituting fossil fuels with hydrogen and its derivatives. Over time, this concept has resurfaced periodically, often in response to crises, with the most recent resurgence being driven by climate change mitigation efforts. However, what distinguishes this current era from previous ones is a clear determination among nations and organizations to mitigate climate change and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

Currently, the production and demand of hydrogen is relatively steady. In 2021, global hydrogen consumption was 94 million tonnes, with oil refining representing 40 million tonnes of consumption and the remaining 54 million tonnes being industrial demand. In industry, hydrogen is primarily used for production of ammonia, methanol, as well as direct reduced iron.^[1] In 2020, Finland produced 145,000 tonnes of hydrogen, primarily for oil refining.^[2] Presently, nearly 99 percent of hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels, primarily through steam reforming of natural gas. Global hydrogen demand is expected to grow by 20–40 percent by 2030, and new applications such as hydrogen reduction in steelmaking will further increase the demand of hydrogen.^[1]

In addition to the current demand and new industrial applications for hydrogen, hydrogen is viewed as a substitute for hard-to-replace fossil fuels. As part of the EU’s Fit for 55 legislative package, the REFuelEU regulation sets targets of 1.2 percent synthetic aviation fuel consumption by 2030 and 35 percent by 2050.^[3] In the maritime sector, the goal is 1 percent consumption of synthetic fuels by 2030, along with a 6 percent emissions reduction, and an 80 percent emissions reduction by 2050. ^[4] With new applications, hydrogen demand is expected to rise significantly, though the range of forecasts is quite wide. By 2040, demand is predicted to be between 200 and 300 million metric tons, and by 2050, demand could reach 500 to 600 million metric tons. ^[5,6]

Green hydrogen is seen as a key part of the solution for reducing industrial emissions

Green hydrogen, produced through electrolysis using renewable electricity and water, is seen as a key part of the solution for reducing industrial emissions. This perspective is based on the fact that many industrial processes using hydrogen do not generate direct emissions, but emissions occur indirectly through hydrogen and electricity production instead, as in the case of ammonia production. Furthermore, the use of hydrogen can help avoid carbon dioxide emissions in various industrial processes, such as the forementioned steelmaking.

To convert the current hydrogen production in Finland entirely green, producing an equivalent amount of hydrogen through electrolysis would require approximately 1–1.4 GW of electrolyser capacity, depending on operating hours and system efficiency, as well as nearly 8 TWh of renewable electricity, equivalent to over 11 percent of Finland’s current electricity production.^[7] Therefore, the electricity consumption would be significant compared to Finland’s current electricity production. However, the renewable electricity production in Finland will increase significantly, which is a key prerequisite for hydrogen economy. Finland aims to produce 10 percent of the EU’s green hydrogen, approximately one million tonnes per year, by 2030. ^[8,9] Achieving this goal would require about 6–9 GW of electrolyser capacity in Finland and a corresponding 60-90 GW at the EU level. By the summer of 2023, Finland has announced plans with a combined capacity of approximately 7.5 GW, which aligns well with the target.^[10] However, it’s important to note that most of these announced green hydrogen projects are still in the pre-feasibility or feasibility stage, with no final investment decisions made, except for P2X Solutions’ Harjavalta facility.

Hydrogen electrolysis yields several utilizable products

It is important to note that hydrogen is not the sole product of electrolysis; oxygen and waste heat are also produced as byproducts. Oxygen and heat can be sold for industrial use and waste heat can be utilized in district heating networks, especially in the case of Finland. Moreover, green hydrogen production enables participation in the electricity market. Massive electricity consumption of the electrolyser enables participation in demand response, providing an additional revenue stream and improving the profitability of green hydrogen investments, while also supporting the grid.

Hydrogen is also seen to play a role in energy production. The variability of renewable electricity generation can be balanced by producing hydrogen from excess renewable electricity and converting it back to electricity using fuel cells when the availability of renewable electricity is low. This two-way operation creates synergies, as the oxygen produced as a byproduct of electrolysis can be further utilized as fuel for fuel cells alongside hydrogen. Similarly, the water produced as a byproduct of fuel cell’s electricity generation can be used as feedstock in electrolysis, reducing the overall water consumption of the system.

Another key synergy lies in fuel cell technologies, with Reversible Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (RSOC) being an example. This technology can produce both hydrogen and electricity by changing the direction of the reaction. Consequently, hydrogen producers can participate in both the hydrogen and electricity markets with a single investment.

EU sets requirements for green hydrogen production

Electricity price is not the only mechanism influencing green hydrogen production. The EU’s RFNBO regulation, complementing the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), which was approved in June 2023, defines production requirements for renewable fuels of non-biological origin.^[11]

One of the regulation’s most significant requirements is that, starting from 2030, green hydrogen production must align with the availability of renewable energy on an hourly basis. This is a crucial requirement, despite encountering resistance due to its complexity, as the hydrogen economy should primarily support the green transition rather than impede it.

The author, Onni Tikkanen, works as an energy consultant at Fimpec Consulting and is a master’s student at Aalto University, majoring in energy systems and markets. Tikkanen has been involved in conducting techno-economic pre-feasibility and feasibility studies for green hydrogen production projects and has also acted as the lead analyst in Fimpec’s comprehensive hydrogen market study. This text is a summary of the hydrogen market study.

References

1. International Energy Agency I. Global Hydrogen Review 2022, 2022. [Cited 17. August 2023]; Available at: www.iea.org/t&c/
2. Sivill L, Bröckl M, Semkin N, Ruismäki A, Pilpola H, Laukkanen O, ym. Vetytalous – mahdollisuudet ja rajoitteet, 2022. [Cited 17. August 2023]; Available at: https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/handle/10024/163901
3. Fit for 55: Parliament and Council reach deal on greener aviation fuels | News | European Parliament [Internet]. [Cited 17. August 2023]; Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230424IPR82023/fit-for-55-parliament-and-council-reach-deal-on-greener-aviation-fuels
4. Eprs. BRIEFING EU Legislation in Progress.
5. Green hydrogen economy – predicted development of tomorrow: PwC [Internet]. [Cited 17. August 2023]; Available at: https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/energy-utilities-resources/future-energy/green-hydrogen-cost.html
6. Renewable Energy Agency I. GLOBAL HYDROGEN TRADE TO MEET THE 1.5°C CLIMATE GOAL PART I TRADE OUTLOOK FOR 2050 AND WAY FORWARD. 2022 [Cited 17. August 2023]; Available at: www.irena.org/publications
7. Energiavuosi 2022 Sähkö Energiateollisuus ry 12.1.2023.
8. Hallitus hyväksyi periaatepäätöksen vedystä – Suomella edellytykset valmistaa 10 prosenttia EU:n vihreästä vedystä 2030 [Internet]. [Cited 17. August 2023]; Available at: https://valtioneuvosto.fi/-/1410877/hallitus-hyvaksyi-periaatepaatoksen-vedysta-suomella-edellytykset-valmistaa-10-prosenttia-eu-n-vihreasta-vedysta-2030
9. Hydrogen [Internet]. [Cited 18. August 2023]; Available at: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-systems-integration/hydrogen_en
10. Vihreiden investointien dataikkuna – Elinkeinoelämän keskusliitto [Internet]. [Cited 18. August 2023]; Available at: https://ek.fi/tutkittua-tietoa/vihreat-investoinnit/
11. Delegated regulation on Union methodology for RFNBOs [Internet]. [Cited 18. August 2023]; Available at: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/publications/delegated-regulation-union-methodology-rfnbos_en

Enefit Green, an Estonian renewable energy producer, is currently building its first Finnish wind farm Tolpanvaara, Pudasjärvi. The 13 wind turbines to be erected in the area will annually produce up to 76 gigawatt hours of green electricity. The construction work, started in February 2022, has progressed such that the erection of the wind turbines will start during the spring of 2023. The start of electricity production is planned for autumn 2024.

“The project has proceeded as planned and on schedule. One factor in favour of the project was that all parties are seasoned players in the wind power industry,” says Chief Operating Officer Heikki Karjalainen, who is in charge of the project on behalf of Fimpec.

Fimpec in charge of owner’s engineering and worksite management and supervision at the installation stage

Enefit Green is the renewable energy subsidiary of Eesti Energia and owns 22 wind farms and 38 solar parks in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The official owner of the Finnish Tolpanvaara facility will be Enefit Green’s Finnish subsidiary Tolpanvaara Wind Farm Oy.

Enefit Green decided to use Fimpec’s Owner’s Engineering service for the construction project at Tolpanvaara.  This means that Fimpec is responsible for liaison with authorities, communications, stakeholder engagement, engineering design and planning reviews, monitoring of construction progress, cost management and reporting as well as on-site supervision and safety coordination.

As the project progresses, the installation stage duties will additionally include main responsibility for on-site supervision as well as supervision and safety coordination. Once the wind park is completed, Fimpec will also have supervision duties during the warranty period.

“We are supporting this project with our wide range of experience and knowledge of wind power projects, infrastructure development and project implementation. You could say that the main focus of our input is on safety, quality control and scheduling. Fimpec’s familiarity with international projects is also an asset, as it helps us understand different ways of working and, if necessary, we can help non-Finnish partners to understand and comply with Finnish building codes,” Karjalainen says.

Keeping it all together is key in wind, solar and hydrogen projects

The Tolpanvaara wind park in Pudasjärvi is one of many wind power projects that Fimpec participates in or has participated in, besides several hydrogen and solar power projects. Jorma Paananen, Business Unit Director, Infrastructure, believes that Fimpec has a wide range of solid know-how, based both on experience and knowledge, concerning the preparations, scheduling, procurement and on-site operations of such projects. He feels this gives the company good capabilities to respond to the needs on the market.

“The trend in wind, solar and hydrogen projects is that project owners increasingly want to source the preparation work, commissioning of engineering and construction, procurements and supervision services from a single supplier. Since we can manage the entire project life cycle, we are able to respond to these needs and offer these services from a single source. In addition to that, we can offer expert and engineering services for this industry,” Paananen says.

“Our broad range of expertise also helps us manage such full-scope projects, which is a vital requirement for staying on budget and on schedule. From the customer’s point of view, the optimal scenario is if we can bring our expertise to the project early on and help them to make good decisions and also to see any risks well in advance,” Paananen points out.

For more information, please contact:

Jorma Paananen, Business Unit Director, Infrastructure, Fimpec
tel. +358 400 347 373 or email jorma.paananen(at)fimpec.com

Fimpec will be present at the Enery 2022 event from 25. until 27.10.2022. Our energy team will be present at the booth A918 for the duration of the event. Fimpec Specialist Antti Lahtinen takes on the VOIMA stage on Wednesday 26.10. at 13.00. In his speech he will focus on the new energy technology projects Fimpec is working on.

The Energy 2022 is the largest energy event in Finland brings together energy production, power transmission and storing, energy users, and environmental and circular economy and real estate decision makers under the same roof in October. The event will showcase sustainable, smart, productive, and modern solutions to the energy transition.

See you in Tampere!

More information about the event: energiamessut.expomark.fi/?lang=en

Frans Jokinen, M.Sc. (Eng.), has been selected to helm the strong growth of CTS Engtec in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area starting from January 7th. His tasks include EPCM business management and development of the Helsinki office. Jokinen transferred to the service of CTS Engtec from Afry.

Jokinen has comprehensive and extensive experience in different areas of business; he has background in management of sales and project activities. Jokinen sees a lot of unique potential in development of CTS Engtec’s EPCM business.

“Having followed the development of CTS Engtec over the last few years, I see a lot of growth-oriented enthusiasm and potential for ramping up and refinement of EPCM into a versatile and efficient customer-centred business. I am especially interested in the process flows of the EPCM model and the resulting cause-effect relationships, as well as in the development of project team practices.”

According to Antti Lukka, Managing Director of CTS Engtec, Jokinen’s strong engineering and project management skills and extensive co-operation networks support the development of the new business unit.

“Frans brings to our organisation new thinking and power for promotion of our Helsinki unit and the EPCM business. In recent years, our growth has been accelerating, and it is great to benefit from Frans Jokinen’s tremendous expertise in taking our EPCM service portfolio to an entirely new level,” Lukka concludes.

In his work, Jokinen reports to the Managing Director and is a member of CTS Engtec’s exevutive team.

From January 1st, CTS Engtec’s new address in Jyväskylä is Matarankatu 4. The move to the new premises was influenced by the desire to bring the offices in Jyväskylä under the same roof. Common office facilities provide better support to diversification of services and growth in the number of staff.

“In 2019, we have made significant investments in customer service in Central Finland and uniting our offices under the same roof already came up in connection with the Karibu asset deal. We are now able to operate even better at the same location, and the premises have been renovated to meet our needs,” says Antti Lukka, Managing Director of CTS Engtec.

The new premises are located in Jyväskylä downtown, which facilitates access to the office. The renovation enables to better adapt the premises to modern open work culture and operating models.

“Our work culture is based on teamwork, which is why the importance of common space was emphasized in the new solution of the premises. We can now offer better services to our customers,” states Tomi Vainio, Regional Manager of Mechanical Engineering and HVAC Engineering.

With the exception of address, all contact details of CTS Engtec will remain the same.