LNG

Nordic LNG and biogas company Gasum has started an expansion project at its Riihimäki biogas plant in Finland that makes natural gas from waste and supplies it to the national gas grid.

Denmark and Sweden, whose electricity systems have been interconnected for more than 100 years, have signed a natural gas supply agreement to be implemented in case of emergencies with the Danes pledging to supply Swedish essential services with gas.

The Nordic nations have entered into a “solidarity agreement “ on gas supplies signed by the Director General of the Swedish Energy Agency, Robert Andrén, and the Director of the Energy Agency of Denmark, Kristoffer Böttzauw.

“The agreement will come into force if an emergency situation arises, where the energy crisis escalates and gas shortages occur in the coming winters,” said a statement.

“In that case, Denmark will contribute to securing the supply of the protected customers in Sweden. This applies, for example, to households, hospitals, emergency services and other critical functions,” according to the agreement.

Small-scale LNG

While Sweden is a small-scale LNG importer of around 400,000 tonnes per annum for bunkering fuel and other uses, Denmark has the key pipeline links to North Sea natural gas supplies.

Andrén, the Sweden’s Energy Agency head, explained that their energy systems were complex and connected to several countries.

“The agreement shows the strength of international cooperation, especially for security of supply, where the benefits of cooperation are obvious,” added Andrén.

The backbone of the regional gas infrastructure is the Danish transmission system, which transport natural gas from the North Sea to distribution networks on land.

Danish state-owned firm Energinet operates the transmission system in Denmark and the system is also the route to Germany and Sweden and to the two Danish gas storage facilities, which are consolidated in a separate company owned by Energinet.

“The agreement we have signed reflects the great work and cooperation that has taken place in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine - not just in the Nordic region, but throughout the European union,” said Kristoffer Böttzauw, director of the Danish Energy Agency.

Team work

“No country in the EU or the Nordics can solve the energy supply crisis alone. So we must cooperate and be in solidarity with our neighbours - both when it comes to supply chains and energy savings,” added Böttzauw.

The Danish and Swedish sides noted that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has strained gas supplies across Europe causing large fluctuations in energy prices.

“Although electricity and gas prices have fallen since the summer of 2022 and the European gas storages have a very high degree of filling, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure security of supply,” they said.

“The solidarity agreement shows the effect of the strong Nordic cooperation to ensure security of supply, where both countries benefit from close cooperation in both the electricity and gas fields,” they added. 

The European liquefied gas fuel filling station network is growing throughout Europe with two of the latest facilities for LNG as well as compressed natural gas being opened in Sweden and Spain.

HAM Group of Spain has just opened its Benavente-Zamora station for LNG and CNG located at Cañada Berciana 9A, next to the A-6 (Northwest highway), one of the six radial highways in Spain, and the N-630, one of the longest Spanish national highways.

“The new service station, designed and built by HAM subsidiary HAM Criogénica has two LNG dispensers (three hoses), to refuel trucks and heavy vehicles and two CNG dispensers (three hoses), to refuel cars, light vehicles, and trucks,” explained the Spanish company.

With this new opening, the Spanish group has a network with more than 115 service stations located on the main transport routes in Spain and the rest of Europe.

“We continue to bet on CNG, LNG and Biomethane as real sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels, helping to reduce polluting emissions and respecting the environment,” stated HAM.

Gasum network

Finnish energy company Gasum also continues to expand its gas filling station network in the Nordic region.

It has just opened a new facility in the northern Swedish town of Luleå selling biogas, a form of LNG made from waste.

“The Luleå station is a result of cooperation between Sandahls Logistik and Gasum,” said the Helsinki-based, state-owned Gasum.
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“Gasum can now offer both CNG and liquefied gas to transport companies operating locally in the northernmost part of Sweden. Since it has full control and ownership over the whole value chain, Gasum can extend the corridor of stations by another 250 kilometres,” explained Gasum.

Gasum now has 23 liquefied gas filling stations across Sweden and a total of more than 50 in the Nordic countries and some of these are operated by Gasum’s partners.

Sandahls Logistik is a family-owned logistics company the filling station in Luleå is Gasum’s second station built in conjunction with Sandahls Logistik. The first opened recently in Vårgårda, in western Sweden.

“As the filling station infrastructure expands into new regions, there will be a growing number of gas-powered vehicles on Swedish roads,” said Gasum.

“Several companies have already signalled that an expansion of the gas filling station network allows for completely new possibilities, such as switching over to lower emissions transports in northern Sweden,” it added.

“This new station is very special to us because it shows Gasum's capability to equip Sweden with gas filling stations from head to foot, from Luleå in the north to Malmö in the south,” stated Gasum

Gasum, the Finnish state-owned LNG distribution company and regasification and liquefaction infrastructure owner in the Nordic region, is looking for a new Chief Executive after incumbent Johanna Lamminen resigned with immediate effect after leading the company for over seven years