Ren-Gas and Fimpec’s collaboration yields results
Nordic Ren-Gas and Fimpec have been working closely together since April 2022, when they signed a consulting agreement for feasibility analyses of various projects. The collaboration has continued and expanded as the project portfolio progresses, most recently with Owner’s Engineering services for the Tampere e-methane project.
Nordic Ren-Gas, a project development company building a decentralized production network for clean P2X gas fuels in Finland, is advancing with six e-methane plant projects. The furthest along is the Tampere project, which has already entered the design phase. According to Ren-Gas CEO Saara Kujala, significant progress was made early in the year, making this possible.
“At the end of January, the environmental permit for the Tampere project became legally valid. Around the turn of the year, we also signed a sales and purchase agreement with Gasum Oy, under which Gasum will buy the entire output of the production facility to be completed in Tampere from 2026 and distribute it to their customers. In March, the European Investment Bank (EIB) approved a €230 million financing framework for our project portfolio, part of which is allocated to the Tampere project. We are currently continuing with technical design, and the project is progressing well,” Kujala explains.
Comprehensive support through Owner’s Engineering services
Fimpec provides Owner’s Engineering services for the Tampere project. Sami Nissinen, Business Unit Director of Energy Services at Fimpec, explains that this means offering comprehensive support tailored to the needs of each project phase across various areas of expertise.
“This involves many aspects, such as providing counterparties to engage with stakeholders and suppliers involved in the project, as well as integrating various elements into a functional whole. The significance and challenges of the Tampere project are heightened by the fact that many new elements are coming together, both technically and in terms of regulatory practices,” Nissinen says.
Kujala describes Fimpec’s Owner’s Engineering role as essential. She explains that the situation is typical for industrial construction projects, as few companies have all the necessary technical and project management expertise in-house, requiring a partner to complement their skills.
“Fimpec’s Owner’s Engineering model offers a flexible way to leverage a partner’s expertise. For the next phase of the Tampere project, it’s also important that funders see we have a knowledgeable technical partner driving the project forward,” she says.
Continuing the collaboration started in spring 2022
The cooperation in the Tampere project builds on the partnership that began in spring 2022. According to Kujala, Fimpec has been a vital partner for Ren-Gas since then, and she particularly appreciates the flexibility in the collaboration.
“The cooperation started with feasibility analyses for our projects and has continued in support of project development and Owner’s Engineering services for the Tampere production facility. An important aspect has been the way the collaboration has evolved and adapted to meet the needs of each phase as the projects progress. Fimpec has provided us with valuable insights in various areas, and we’ve worked together as a unified team.”
“When we first started working together, we were a new company, and our team was small, making technical and project expertise essential. Since then, we’ve strengthened our own technical capabilities in key areas, but Fimpec continues to play an important role in supporting our operations as a technical expert,” Kujala adds.
Nissinen says the partnership with Ren-Gas has gone well and has offered opportunities to utilize Fimpec’s diverse expertise.
“The key has been our ability to support Ren-Gas in a way that fits the needs of each phase of the process. The collaboration has grown and continues to evolve. From Fimpec’s perspective, it has also been a unique opportunity to participate in building a new type of clean energy business, which is unique on a European scale. We’ve been able to bring our experience to the table while also learning together with Ren-Gas,” Nissinen explains.
A unique project portfolio moves forward
Ren-Gas’s six e-methane plants together form a decentralized production system with a total investment value of over €1 billion. The plants are expected to produce a combined 150,000 tons of renewable e-methane and 2 TWh of renewable heat annually for local energy companies. The primary goal of the projects is to reduce emissions.
“The liquid e-methane produced at the plants provides a fast-track solution to replacing fossil fuels in heavy road transport and shipping, where electrification is not a realistic option. The heat generated as a byproduct will also help energy companies reduce their use of fossil and biofuels,” Kujala notes.
Following Tampere, the Lahti project is the second most advanced. It received significant production support in the EU’s first European Hydrogen Bank auction, where it was the most competitive out of 132 projects. The Lahti project’s zoning process was completed in the spring in good cooperation with the city, and it has just received its environmental permit. In Kotka, the environmental impact assessment (EIA) is complete, and permits are being prepared. Preliminary agreements with Gasum have also been made for the production from the Lahti and Kotka projects.
The scalable portfolio also includes projects in Kerava, Pori, and Mikkeli, where the permitting processes are progressing well. In Pori, Ren-Gas has additionally reserved a large site that will allow for the expansion of operations. Kujala emphasizes the importance of scalability.
“Our aim is to move the projects forward in a similar way as much as possible. We believe this will give us advantages both technically and commercially, and we’ve already been able to apply lessons learned from the Tampere project in Lahti,” she concludes.
More information:
Saara Kujala, CEO, Nordic Ren-Gas Oy
saara.kujala(at)ren-gas.com
Tel. +358 40 184 9088
Sami Nissinen, Business Unit Director, Fimpec
sami.nissinen (at)fimpec.com
Tel. +358 40 348 5401
Read more about Nordic Ren-Gas Oy’s projects
Nordic Ren-Gas Oy is a project development company established in 2021. Ren-Gas invests in the best P2X gas production and distribution sites in Finland. Our projects will create value across the value chain from P2X technology providers to gas and heat end users.
