Raisio Group's Nokia mill will be carbon neutral with a new bioenergy solution
Raisio is once again making additional investments in Nokia mill. Energy and water company Adven is implementing a new heating plant at the site, which will use the by-products generated in the mill's production as fuel. With the new heating plant, Nokia's mill will be carbon neutral and at the same time energy costs will be reduced. After the change, all of Raisio's own production facilities will be carbon neutral in terms of energy production.
Raisio Group responds to the increased demand for oats and invests in the international market for the oats business. Previously, the company has made investments of approximately EUR 8 million in the Nokia mill, which is one of the largest oat mills in Finland. Nokia mill manufactures flakes of the Elovena, Nalle and Nordic brands as well as rye flour for the bakery industry.
Currently Nokia's mill's energy production emits about 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. With the new plant, emissions will drop to virtually zero.
"Adven has been our partner at Nokia for a long time, so it was natural to continue cooperation with them. Our goal is to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy always when ecologically and economically viable. In this case, the new heating plant will also bring us cost savings," says Jukka Heinänen, COO, Healthy Ingredients Unit and Operations at Raisio Group.
"It is great to continue the long-term partnership with Raisio and together to be able to implement significant emission reductions, which support both Raisio's and Adven's responsibility goals," Elli Ikonen, Account Manager at Adven, says.
Energy solutions are a key part of Raisio's responsibility program, which aims for carbon neutrality in production by the end of 2023. Adven has also set a goal to reduce 200,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions of both its own and its customers' energy production by 2024.
Use of side streams in energy production is becoming more common
In addition to the environmental and cost saving benefits, the advantage of the new heating plant is that the fuel no longer needs to be transported from elsewhere. In industrial production, side streams are typically generated, and they can be recovered and harnessed for new uses: as raw materials, new products, and as a fuel for energy production.
When side streams, like oat husk, are used in energy production, energy costs are reduced, and the use of other fuels can be reduced. In addition, energy production utilising side streams as a fuel increases energy self-sufficiency, and the industry is not dependent on changes in fuel prices.
"There is a clear trend that the by-products generated in production are used in energy production, which favors local circular economy in an excellent way. Adven, together with its customers, is constantly looking for opportunities to take advantage of various side verses. Boiler technology has developed, so it is easier to produce energy from fuels that were not previously suitable for energy production," Ikonen says.
Raisio and Adven are long-term partners. Adven has been responsible for the energy production and operation of energy site at Nokia mill for almost 30 years. Adven will continue to be responsible for the operation and energy production of the new heating plant for the mill's needs. The existing plant in the mill area will remain a reserve and peak-energy plant and will start using biogas as fuel when the new plant is completed.
Planning of the power plant is already underway and construction work will begin at the end of this year. The plant will be commissioned in early summer 2021.
Additional information
Adven, Account Manager Elli Ikonen, tel. +358 50 317 1040, elli.ikonen@adven.com
Raisio Group, Communications Manager Anna-Mari Roine, tel. +358 44 770 6791 or Investor Relations Director Mika Saarinen, +358 40 072 6808
ADVEN
Adven is the leading provider of energy and water services across the Nordic and Baltic countries. For industries Adven produces industrial steam, heat and cold as well as provides utility and processing solutions to improve energy, water and material efficiency. For real estate segment Adven produces heating and cooling based on district heating or property-specific solutions applying for instance bio- and geoenergy. Our business model is based on full service and long-term partnership.
Our annual turnover is over €216m, and our total balance sheet is €800m. We have almost 40 years of experience, and we employ about 400 specialists. We operate more than 300 sites with total capacity of 1900 MW. www.adven.com
RAISIO PLC
Raisio is an international company specialized in healthy, responsibly produced food, ingredients and fish feeds. Our well-known brands include, for example, Benecol, Elovena, Sunnuntai, Torino and Benella. In Raisio’s products, the focus is on well-being, health, good taste and sustainable development. Profitable growth is ensured through our strong expertise and passion for creating new. Raisio’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. In 2019, the Group’s net sales totaled EUR 236 million and EBIT was EUR 27 million. Our food is good for Health, Heart and Earth. For more information on Raisio go to www.raisio.com.
