Rohe Solutions (Rohe), a joint venture (JV) between Finland’s Hamina Energy (Hamina) and Estonia’s Alexela has announced that it will liquefy biogas at the Hamina liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal.

Operated by Hamina LNG, the Hamina LNG terminal is owned by Hamina, Alexela and Wartsila.

Having begun commercial operations late last year, Hamina LNG provides storage services from one 30,000m³ (cubic metre) LNG tank in addition to regasification and injection services into the Finnish gas transmission network with a daily capacity of 6,000 megawatt hours (MWh).

Rohe plans to begin both liquefaction at the terminal and the first pilot deliveries in early 2024.

“Rohe Solutions is cooperating with various stakeholders to increase the supply of biogas,” said Sanna Kokkonen, CEO of Rohe Solutions.

“By liquefying biogas from the grid, we will be able to offer Bio-LNG to the market before the planned biogas production plant projects are completed.”

The market demand of Bio-LNG is growing rapidly, but domestic production in Finland is still very limited, according to Rohe.

Even though Bio-LNG projects are gaining more traction within the country, many of them it only at an ‘early stage’, creating challenges for availability of the renewable gas.

A report by Ace Analytic reveals that the global Bio-LNG market was valued at $660m in 2022 and is predicted to reach $2.9 billion by 2031 at a 18.2% CAGR during the forecast period for 2023-2031.

Due to its reputation as a clean fuel, the main applications for Bio-LNG include transportation and shipping.

Compared to conventional diesel, the renewable gas can cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%, making it an appealing option for businesses seeking to minimise their carbon footprint.