Two gas buses to join local public transport fleet in Lappeenranta, Finland
Two gas buses will join the local public transport fleet in Lappeenranta, Finland. The biogas-fueled buses will begin service on Monday January 7, 2019. The gas buses are not allocated for specific routes but, instead, can be used to transport passengers on any of the city's bus lines.
According to City Engineer Olli Hirvonen from the City of Lappeenranta, the City introduces the gas buses in order to promote sustainable development and contribute towards cuts in transport emissions.
- The City of Lappeenranta aims to cut transport emissions by 50% by 2030. This is a clear step in that direction.
One third of the buses in Lappeenranta's local transport fleet are already new, energy-efficient and low-emission Euro6 buses. The gas buses will make it possible to considerably accelerate the rate of CO2 emission reductions.
Gas buses introduced in collaboration with bus company
Olli Hirvonen points out that development work to cut transport emissions in the middle of the contractual period has been possible because the matter has been advanced in good collaboration with the bus company, Savonlinja.
Savonlinja is committed to participating in the development of cleaner public transport, says Savonlinja Managing Director Kai Honkanen.
- We seek to do our share by making more sustainable choices to reduce public transport emissions and in that way improve air quality for urban residents.
Biogas-fueled vehicles have the advantage of it often being possible to produce the gas fuel from local waste. In Lappeenranta, road transport fuel from the biogas plant constructed in Kukkuroinmäki can potentially be used in the future. The gas buses now starting in service will use Gasum biogas.
Gasum offers a climate-friendly alternative to traditional fuels by actively expanding the gas filling station network, says Business Development Manager Matti Ojanpää from Gasum.
- It's great that the City of Lappeenranta is setting an example and is now the third city in Finland to choose gas-fueled buses for urban transport. Gas buses are the most cost-effective way to reduce carbon dioxide and local emissions from urban transport and an important element in action to reach climate targets.
For more information please contact:
Matti Ojanpää, Business Development Manager, Gasum
Phone: +358 0400 299 798, matti.ojanpaa(at)gasum.com
Olli Hirvonen, City Engineer, City of Lappeenranta
Phone: +358 40 670 1566, olli.hirvonen(at)lappeenranta.fi
Kai Honkanen, Managing Director, Savonlinja
Phone: +358 40 843 0545, kai.honkanen(at)savonlinja.fi
Lappeenranta is an international university city and tourist destination in a logistically important region in South-East Finland near the border between the EU and Russia. The Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT), the innovative operating environment, skilled workforce and good networks make it easier to start up and expand international business operations in the city of around 73,000 residents. Lappeenranta is easy to reach thanks to its international airport. Located by Lake Saimaa, the City values its clean environment and pleasant residential areas. www.lappeenranta.fi
Savonlinja Oy started a schedule-based service between Lappeenranta and Lauritsala with a brand-new T-Ford in 1924. Today Savonlinja is a family-owned company employing over 700 transport professionals. Savonlinja operates with around 500 buses, mainly in Eastern and South-Eastern Finland, the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and the Turku region. Each year the company carries more than 15 million passengers, and the buses run more than 25 million kilometers. To read more about Savonlinja, visit www.savonlinja.fi
The energy company Gasum is a Nordic gas sector expert. Together with its partners, Gasum is building a bridge towards a carbon-neutral society on land and at sea. www.gasum.com
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