Kemi Ajos probable location for the Metsäliitto/Vapo Biodiesel plant

The preliminary survey work on the biodiesel project of the Metsäliitto/Vapo Consortium proceeds. Initially, four alternatives were selected for further survey: Kemi, Äänekoski, Jönköping in Sweden and Kunda in Estonia. In the survey, Kemi Ajos has come up as the most probable location for the plant. The next phase will be an environmental impact assessment on the Kemi alternative.
 
The biorefinery project of the Metsäliitto/Vapo Consortium is one of three project proposals for the EU NER300 Funding that the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy has submitted to the European Commission. The preparation work in the project is carried out by the Forest BtL Project established by Metsäliitto and Vapo. “The Commission will make a decision on the Funding by the end of 2012, and it will not be until after the decision that a more detailed time schedule, partners and financing can be discussed”, Vapo’s Managing Director Tomi Yli-Kyyny states.
 
According to Tomi Yli-Kyyny, the biorefinery would be a significant step forward for Finland to reach the goal of providing 10% of its transport fuels by renewable energy by 2020. “We are talking about a 500 million euro production plant that would annually produce about 100 000 tonnes of top quality biodiesel suitable for even arctic conditions. When completed, the plant would employ about 200 people. During the construction period, the employment effect would be even higher”, Tomi Yli-Kyyny continues.

The advantage of the plant concept under review is its duplicability and independence of other industrial production regionally. Kemi Ajos is located on the seafront and offers logistics advantages in terms of both the raw material and the end product.
 
Additional Information:
– Tomi Yli-Kyyny, Managing Director, CEO, Vapo Oy, tel. +358 50 1280
– Ahti Martikainen, Director, Communications and Public Affairs, Vapo Oy, tel. +358 40 680 4723