BioEnergo submitted the planned Pori biorefinery environmental impact assessment study (EIA) to the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) on 7.7.2020. After careful consideration the coordination authority has given its argumentation and comments regarding the EIA study on 02.12.2020.

’The coordination authority statement on the EIA study is a valuable document as we plan our way forward’ says Timo Saini, chairman of BioEnergo. The Environmental Impact Permit is the most vital document in a planning process of bioconversion plant. ’We will follow the authority’s instructions very carefully,’ says Saini. All points and areas of concern will be dealt with in detail as part of the coming environmental permit process.

The BioEnergo EIA study for the planned Pori biorefinery has two alternate operating scenarios for the refinery. The coordination authority states that the EIA study provides a good overall picture of the project, its main environmental impacts and the feasibility of implementing each alternative. Further the authority states that there are some uncertain factors that need to evaluated further.

The coordination authority statement raises certain points or areas of concern that BioEnergo will deal with in detail and will provide acceptable solutions to during the more detailed basic engineering and detailed design phases of the biorefinery project that will proceed during 2021. A large part of the points or areas of concern raised in the statement will as a matter of course be dealt with during the more detailed environmental permit application process that will take place during 2021.

Based on the authority’s statement BioEnergo will as part of the environmental permit application and refinery detailed design processes carefully evaluate and mitigate the planned biorefinery’s potential impact on (i) surface water, (ii) air (including odor emissions) and climate, (iii) traffic volume, (iv) nature and (v) natural resources. Especially the potential impact of the planned biorefinery on the sea water will be evaluated and modelled in great detail during the following phases of the project. BioEnergo will carefully consider all possible methods of handling and purifying the biorefinery’s waste water as part of refinery and process planning.

A copy of the “Coordination authority statement on the environmental impact assessment report / Yhteysviranomaisen lausunto YVA-arviointiohjelmasta Bioenergo” has been published at: www.ymparisto.fi/bioenergoYVA

Contact:
Timo Saini, Chairman, BioEnergo Oy, +358 40 715 3682, timo.saini@bioenergo.fi
Jyrki Karvinen, JKcom Public Relations, +358 45 258 8451, jyrki.karvinen@jkcom.fi

BioEnergo reduces traffic carbon emissions. BioEnergo is in the process of building an advanced second-generation biofuel refinery in Pori, Kaanaa Industrial Park, Finland. BioEnergo’s products will help our customers meet their regulatory biofuel distribution mandates and help corporates reduce their carbon footprints. The biorefinery will use certified forest industry side stream sawdust and chips as feedstock to produce an estimated 60 000 m3 of advanced 2G bioethanol (for passenger cars), 130 000 MWh of 2G liquid biogas (for heavy duty vehicles), 73 000 tons of lignin (for low-CO2 asphalt, roofing felt and concrete) and 44 000 tons of CO2 (for industry/circular economy). At full production BioEnergo will employ directly and indirectly up to 250 people employees.