From industry to transport and from energy production to cooking, gases have become integrated into Finnish society in ways we don’t always think about. We asked Janne Grönlund, SVP, Gas Business at Gasgrid, about everything that is done with gases today – and above all: what the visions are for the future. 

Gases play a major role in industry – what gases are most used in industry?

Firstly, natural gas is widely used in industrial processes. It lends itself to processes where high temperatures, rapid controllability and avoidance of contaminants are required. Natural gas is also used as a feedstock for hydrogen production.

Hydrogen, in turn, is used as a raw material in oil refining and other chemical processes. Hydrogen is also used in some processes in the steel and forestry industries. Hydrogen can also be used to produce synthetic methane or e-methane, a strongly rising gas.

In addition, there are already dozens of domestic biogas plants in Finland producing renewable gas and increasing Finland’s energy self-sufficiency, and the number continues to grow.

Tell us a bit more about which industrial sectors use gases

The chemical and forestry industries are main industrial users of natural gas in Finland. In the forest industry, gas is used for drying paper and other energy production required by the mill.

In metal processing, gas is suitable for many process steps from smelting to tempering. Other industrial applications for gas include the food industry, clay and glass industries, asphalt industry, laundries and the cement industry.

Steel and batteries at least are among new emerging industries in the use of gases.

Many people still don’t quite understand why gases are so important to Finland’s overall energy system

A multi-gas platform provides weather-independent, rapidly adjustable and, if desired, fossil-free support for Finnish electricity generation capacity when it is needed most. This is typically in winter, with severe frosts and little help from wind or solar power production. Gas can respond to rapid changes in the electricity market, as existing gas-fired production can be started up in a matter of hours.

An example of this

The first week of January in 2024 was just such a tight spot, with a windless, cold snap. We have calculated that during that week, the combined value to the economy of the gas system and the Inkoo LNG floating terminal was between €1.5 billion and €3 billion. The electricity production capacity of over 1 000 MW enabled by the gas system approaches that of Olkiluoto 3.

At a practical level, engine power plants are used to smooth out such a “frost peak”

Today, electricity production connected to the gas system is based on combined heat and power (CHP). CHP plants are rapidly being joined by engine power plants, which can already produce electricity with an efficiency of over 50%.

Gas engines range from one to several dozen in a single power plant, with unit sizes ranging from kilowatts to around ten megawatts. A gas engine is efficient: its start-up time is calculated in minutes and its regulating time in seconds. New gas engine power plants can be added to the existing gas system to support electricity sufficiency and the function of the overall energy system in Finland.

The “secret weapon” of the gas system is that the gas pipeline also acts as an energy storage facility – what does this mean?

Yes. The gas infrastructure in itself is a 60 GWh (equivalent to the annual consumption of 3,000 electrically heated single-family homes) energy storage facility, the properties of which can also be used to respond to the flexibility needs of the electricity market. Besides this, there’s also the Hamina LNG terminal (200 GWh), the Inkoo LNG terminal (almost 1,000 GWh) and the supporting gas reserves in Latvia (up to 25,000 GWh).

Gases are also entering the transport sector in force – why?

Decarbonising transport requires a switch to cleaner fuels and propulsion systems – and options such as biogas, LNG and hydrogen provide an opportunity to reduce carbon emissions. Solutions are available for both land and maritime transport.

And let’s not forget that many Finnish homes are also heated by natural gas or biogas

We have long known that gas has many uses in buildings: in addition to heating, it can be used for cooking, for example. Gas lends itself to heating in places where there is access to a gas distribution network.

Quite a renaissance seems to be ongoing in gas production and use – what’s your own view?

The energy revolution is exerting heavy pressure, and we see gases playing a key role in enabling the important developments underway. The past five years have seen more changes in gases than ever before, creating a good platform for further development. We can support the green transition in a reliable and sustainable way through a multi-gas platform.

Janne Grönlund, SVP, Gas Business at Gasgrid provided answers to the questions.   

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Brief history of the gas market  

– Finland’s gas market was opened up to competition in 2020

– Opening of the Balticconnector gas pipeline connected Finland to the Baltic gas market

– Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ended imports of pipeline gas from Russia in May 2022

– Hamina LNG terminal completed in autumn 2022

– Inkoo floating LNG terminal started operating in early 2023

– Gas interconnection pipeline between Poland and Lithuania (GIPL) connected Finland and the Baltic states to the Central European gas infrastructure

– nowadays, all the natural gas used in Finland is imported as LNG through Finnish LNG terminals and the Klaipeda LNG terminal in Lithuania

– gas infrastructure is needed to enable Finland to serve the need for gas in industry and in energy production, and to support the integration of clean gases

– hydrogen and synthetic methane (e-methane) are at the forefront of clean gases and subject to great expectations