Fazer: promotes green transition with renewable gas

Helsinki / FI. (fg) The leading bakery operator Fazer Bakery Finland and Nordic energy company Gasum have signed a letter of intent in order to draft a plan for the role of renewable gas in reducing emissions created by Fazer’s bread transport and production. In addition to the utilisation of food waste and the use of biogas, the goal is to start collaboration regarding e-methane produced with renewable energy.

Fazer Bakery Finland plans to phase out fossil fuels as a heat source for ovens by 2030. The planned partnership supports Fazer Bakery Finland’s sustainability strategy in terms of a reduction in CO2 emissions. Fazer is committed to science-based emission reduction measures (according to the Science Based Targets initiative) and plans to reduce emissions by 42 percent by 2030.

(Photo: Fazer Bakery Finland)

Already today, all food waste generated by Fazer Bakery’s production that is inedible as such is utilised in the production of biogas in cooperation with Gasum. Biogas generated from production’s food waste can cover a fifth of the energy needed to heat the ovens at Fazer’s bakeries in Vantaa, Lahti and Lappeenranta.

«We are already reducing food waste systematically and efficiently,» says Marko Bergholm, Managing Director at Fazer Bakery Finland. «However, it is important to continue reducing food waste and find new ways to use it. The new e-methane fuel can be used to heat the ovens in Fazer’s bakeries and in road transport for bread deliveries as fuel for full trailer combination trucks and delivery trucks from 2026.»

«Gasum’s strategic goal is to bring seven terawatt hours of renewable gas to the market per year by 2027, which is up to four times more than today. Part of this will be e-methane. Achieving this target would mean an annual emission reduction of 1.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide for Gasum’s customers. The cooperation agreement with Fazer is a good example of Gasum’s objective to partner with its customers in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, for example, by developing a market for e-methane,» says Tommy Mattila, Vice President at Gasum’s Industry and Traffic business.

Gas plays a significant role in the world of renewable energy in places that are difficult to electrify. These include heavy land transport and certain industrial processes. Gas also offers elasticity of demand to the energy system, where the supply of electricity is weather-dependent.

Biogas is a form of clean energy that is available today. However, the availability of biogas is limited and, as a synthetic and renewable gas, e-methane helps to significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels at Fazer.

Fazer Bakery Finland: As part of Finland’s Fazer Group, Fazer Bakery Finland is the bakery industry market leader in Finland. Fazer’s large bakeries are located in Vantaa, Lahti and Lappeenranta, Finland. The company has nearly 140 in-store bakeries within grocery shops where artisanal bakers make bread by hand in the shop premises using Finnish flour. In Finland, Fazer Bakeries employs approximately 1,600 people. In the manufacturing of the bakery products, approximately 92 percent of the ingredients are Finnish.

Gasum group: Energy company Gasum Limited is a Nordic gas sector and energy market expert. Gasum offers cleaner energy and energy market expert services for industry and for combined heat and power production as well as cleaner fuel solutions for road and maritime transport. Gasum helps its customers to reduce their carbon footprint and that of their customers. The Gasum group has approximately 340 employees in Finland, Norway, Sweden and Germany. Gasum is a Finnish state-owned company.