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Gas is safe and clean
Gas is safe and clean
What are natural gas and biogas? What makes natural gas clean, and why is biogas so environmentally friendly? Let us tell you what these two forms of energy are all about and what does the gas prices consist of.
Natural gas
Where does natural gas come from? Natural gas consists almost entirely of methane. The gas is created underground as biomass decomposes, and it’s the cleanest of all fossil fuels. Natural gas available in Finland can be utilised in electricity production and heating without further processing. Natural gas can also be refined into liquefied natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG).
What is natural gas used for? Natural gas is an excellent energy source in district heating and electricity production, but it’s also popular in industrial processes, as it requires no storage. Natural gas can also be used as an affordable fuel for traffic, and it’s available at gas fuelling stations.
Biogas
Where does biogas come from? Biogas is a 100% renewable form of energy, as it can be produced from almost any biological raw materials. Such raw materials include organic waste, waste water sludge, manure and industrial surplus waste. However, wood-based materials are not suitable for biogas production without processing. The greatest potential lies in field biomass, which is made from materials such as the inedible parts of crops. However, field biomass is not yet utilised in Finland, unlike in Sweden.
How is biogas produced? The raw materials needed for biogas production are transported to the nearest biogas plant, where they are used to produce environmentally friendly and 100% renewable biogas. Biogas is a fixed part of circular economy, as the residual nutrients created during the production are used on fields as fertiliser, which in turn decreases the use of industrially produced fertilisers. In Finland, the use of residual sludge as fertiliser is controlled by the Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira.
How is biogas used in Finland? Of all the Nordic countries, Sweden and Denmark use biogas the most – in Finland, only around 4% of the production potential of biogas is utilised. In 2015, gas from biogas plants was used to produce 350 GWh of heat and electricity in Finland, which is equivalent to the heating energy need of approximately 18,000 detached houses. Biogas is used in heating and electricity production, but one growing area of use is traffic, as biogas is the most low-emission traffic fuel available.
Switching over to biogas is easy
- Decision to switch over biogas. All homes covered by the gas distribution network can switch over to environmentally friendly biogas. By switching over to 100% renewable Finnish biogas, you can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions to zero!
- Let our customer service know if you are planning to switch over. You can easily notify Suomen Kaasuenergia of your decision by contacting us by telephone at +358 (0)800 156 688 (weekdays 8 am–5 pm), by e-mail at asiakaspalvelu@suomenkaasuenergia.fi or with our electronic contact form.
- Gas consumption metering. Biogas consumption is metered with a remotely read meter that must be installed into the place of use when switching over to biogas if the property does yet not have one.
- Presto! You are supplied with biogas. You can use the gas for cooking and heating your home just like before, as the properties of biogas are equivalent to those of natural gas. The only difference is that biogas is fully renewable energy, and your carbon dioxide emissions are down to zero from now on!
What do gas prices consist of?
The price of natural gas consists of the same elements as that of electricity: the sales and transfer prices of energy. The energy price of natural gas is tied with price indexes to the prices of crude oil and international coal, as well as the Finnish energy price index published by Statistics Finland. The reasonability of the pricing is controlled by the Finnish Energy Authority, which defines the allowable profit from the transfer of natural gas. Transfer pricing is based on capital committed to the transfer network and the costs of operating the transfer network, but the pricing is also affected by location-specific consumption.
Natural gas is competitive
The price of natural gas is competitive, as it’s adjusted on a monthly basis and thus able to maintain its position in relation to other forms of energy. Using gas is affordable when the gas is used on a steady basis, as steady use affects both the sales price and the transfer price of natural gas.