Beginning this month, a total of 10 percent of all organic Valio Luomu™ milk will be collected using a biogas-fueled Volvo truck. The milk collection truck will operate in Southern Finland. In addition to organic milk, the truck will also collect basic milk from Valio producers.
”The new traction unit is Finland’s first gas-fueled heavy-duty vehicle intended for milk distribution. I’m happy and proud of the fact that those buying organic Valio Luomu™ products can now make an even more environmentally friendly choice when buying Valio Luomu™ milk,” stated Valio Category Manager, Mirva Tollet.
The transport use of biogas can help reduce fuel lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 85 percent. Heavy-duty transport accounts for 40 percent of Finland’s transport emissions, increasing pressure in enterprises’ transport logistics to reduce emissions.
”It’s great that Valio is using environmentally friendly biogas produced from biowaste as a fuel and that way reducing emissions from transport logistics. Taking part in the production of renewable biogas is circular economy at its best as it helps to recover biowaste efficiently for further use,” said Gasum Sales Manager Juha-Matti Koskinen.
The two companies are collaborating to produce the fuel from Valio’s waste fractions. The organic matter created in the biogas production can then be utilized as recycled fertilizer products.
“Our processes generate waste fractions that are unnecessary for us but suitable for the production of biogas. This means we supply raw material to Gasum and then use Gasum-produced Liquified Natural Gas as vehicle fuel,” said Valio Development Manager Petteri Tahvanainen.
Valio is considering the addition of more gas-fueled vehicles to its logistics fleet in the future, with the coverage of the biogas distribution network for heavy-duty vehicles in particular playing a decisive role in that context. Gasum provides heavy-duty transport with support for mobility fueled by low-emission gas in the Nordic countries. Gasum is currently investing in the construction and opening of 50 new gas filling stations for heavy-duty vehicles in Finland, Sweden and Norway by the beginning of the 2020s.
