The cornerstone laying of the Nivala biogas plant on Tuesday, 25 November 2025 officially marked the start of construction for what will become Finland’s largest biogas plant.
Preliminary work at the site has been underway since the investment decision in September. During the winter, road construction, earthworks and foundation work will be carried out, with the main construction phase starting in spring. During the construction period, the project will generate several hundred person-years of employment.
Feedstock intake is expected to begin in autumn 2027, and the plant is planned to be in full commercial operation by the end of the same year.
The project has advanced exceptionally quickly for an investment of this scale. The rapid schedule has been possible thanks to the long-term development work carried out in the region. NIHAK and the surrounding municipalities have for years built the foundations needed to enable large-scale projects.
An investment in security of supply and regional vitality
Member of Parliament and member of the Parliament’s Economic Affairs Committee, Timo Mehtälä, described the project as an example of how investing in the clean transition can generate multiple benefits:
“Energy self-sufficiency reduces dependence on imported energy, the employment effects strengthen regional vitality, and the competitiveness of agriculture improves.”
Mehtälä emphasised that biogas production strengthens Finland’s security of supply: a significant proportion of the biogas used in Finland is still imported. He also reminded that the Nivala plant is the first investment outside Denmark by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ CI Advanced Bioenergy Fund I.
“This demonstrates that Finland is seen as an attractive and reliable destination for international clean-transition investments.”
Strong international expertise involved
Commercial Counsellor Maja Elkjaer Frank from the Embassy of Denmark stated that the investment is an excellent example of Danish-Finnish cooperation in the green sector:
“Both Finland and Denmark have ambitious climate targets and strong renewable-energy know-how, and both can be characterised as frontrunners in the clean transition.”
According to Elkjaer Frank, Denmark’s biogas expertise is built on long-term government support, large-scale biogas plants, and close integration between agriculture and energy production.
She also stressed the importance of public-private partnerships in tackling climate change. In Denmark, the private sector has long been considered a key actor in addressing climate challenges.
CIP Partner Andreas F. Brandt expressed his gratitude for the good cooperation with the city, project partners and the local community. The aim is to build a strong and sustainable partnership with farmers in the region.
The figures illustrate the scale of the project: the plant will process 600,000 tonnes of organic waste annually and produce more than 200 GWh of biogas. This corresponds to 80,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.
“The project sets a high standard for many future developments. This is important for the clean transition in both Finland and Europe,” Brandt noted.
New opportunities for the business community
In her opening remarks, the Mayor of Nivala, Päivi Karikumpu, highlighted the importance of the project for the region and how it has been built on cooperation among stakeholders as well as strong agriculture.
Jussi Rämet, Regional Mayor of the Council of Oulu Region, emphasised that the project is strongly linked to local agriculture, helping improve farm profitability and reduce emissions, while creating opportunities for the sustainable renewal of the regional economic structure.
NIHAK’s CEO, Toni Krankkala, also pointed out the project’s indirect effects on the business community:
“We have witnessed first-hand how local companies have seized the opportunities brought by the clean transition. Expertise has been strengthened, new cooperation models have emerged, and companies have taken concrete steps towards new markets.”
According to Krankkala, agriculture and industry together can form a strong regional ecosystem. More than one hundred local farms have signed feedstock-supply agreements for the plant, and the region’s first shared deep-well project has been launched alongside it. In addition, the capture of biogenic carbon dioxide creates a base for entirely new industrial sectors.
Cooperation becomes concrete at the construction site
The actual cornerstone laying took place at the construction site in Kurunpuhto.
Henrik Borgmeyer, representing the plant’s technology supplier Bioconstruct GmbH, noted that although the company has experience constructing around 300 biogas plants across Europe, the Nivala project is exceptional in size. The construction area covers approximately 20 hectares.
Foundations and buildings are being constructed by Rakennusliike Sorvoja Oy. According to Site Manager Juha Sorvoja, the project is one of the region’s most significant investments:
“Projects of this kind succeed only when all skilled parties work together with trust and a shared goal.”
Joining Borgmeyer and Sorvoja in the cornerstone laying were Mayor Päivi Karikumpu, MP Timo Mehtälä, NIHAK CEO Toni Krankkala, Danish Commercial Counsellor Maja Elkjær Frank, and CIP Partner Andreas F. Brandt.
A time capsule was placed inside the cornerstone, containing the day’s newspapers, euro banknotes, and the event programme and list of participants.
Text: Hanna Perkkiö
Pictures: Saraeleni
