Biogas from cargo ship’s waste waters

Organisation: Gasum

Time 2022–2026

Description:

Baltic Sea is one of the most heavily trafficked seas in the world. Discharging black and grey waters and food waste into the sea comprises a big share of the total nutrient load from maritime traffic. In Baltic Sea Action Group’s (BSAG) initiative called Ship Waste Action, this nutrient load is reduced in collaboration within the value chain.

Gasum is a Nordic energy company, whose strategy is to promote development towards carbon neutral future in road and maritime traffic and in industry together with clients and their partners. Gasum offers cleaner energy and helps its clients to reduce their own carbon footprint and their client’s footprint. Important sustainability themes in Gasum are e.g., climate change mitigation and promoting circular economy. Using biodegradable waste in biogas production is an efficient way to mitigate climate change and promote circular economy as well as improve availability of cleaner energy.

To strengthen these goals, Gasum gives a Baltic Sea Commitment to BSAG for the years 2022–2026. Gasum commits to receive ship generated wastewaters and biowaste to be processed into biogas according to the principles of circular economy. Biogas is fully renewable, low emission fuel. When liquified, it can also be used in maritime traffic. In addition to biogas, recycled nutrients are produced in the process. Recycled nutrients can be used in agriculture and in industrial processes to replace synthetic and virgin nutrient products. Furthermore, Gasum commits to influence within its own industry and as a stakeholder and partner, to strengthen circular economy of ship generated wastes.

Gasum’s Baltic Sea Commitment focuses on BSAG’s initiative Ship Waste Action and implementing learnings and results of the initiative into Gasum’s own operations. Gasum contributes to Ship Waste Action in the role of a processor for ship generated wastewaters and wastes, biogas producer and fuel supplier for maritime traffic.

Three targets of the commitment are:

1. Gasum promotes circular economy by receiving ship generated wastewaters and waste, which are suitable for biogas production and recycled nutrient production.
   1. Gasum receives and processed separately agreed amounts of wastewater and biowaste from ports, which are selected together with BSAG, and which contribute to Ship Waste Action, or some other ports as well. Receiving any waste will be separately agreed by Gasum and the port.
   2. Gasum receives sludges from wastewater treatment plants, which process ship generated wastewaters, collaboration will be separately agreed by Gasum and the plant.
   3. The aim is to examine and find out the amount of wastewater discharged into the ports selected and its potential for biogas production.
2. Gasum supports Ship Waste Action’s success with its own actions and actively promotes opportunities for circular economy.
   1. Gasum sets the wastewater and biowaste prices on an encouraging level for ports joining Ship Waste Action at least for the pilot period.
   2. Gasum develops its sludge-based fertilisers to meet the needs of regenerative agriculture and promotes the market for recycled nutrient products by assessing carbon footprints of its own products.
   3. Gasum offers science-based information regarding the use of sludge-based fertilisers in agriculture. Information about regenerative agriculture can be provided for Gasum by for example BSAG.
   4. Gasum contributes to communicating Ship Waste Action together with BSAG.
3. Gasum implements learnings from Ship Waste Action by developing its own operations to strengthen circular economy of ship generated wastewaters and biowaste, and by engaging its partners and stakeholders in discharging ship generated wastes into port reception facilities.

With this commitment, Gasum will contribute to the joint efforts in Ship Waste Action, which enables collaboration within maritime traffic industry, as well as each organisations own development aiming at promoting circular economy. Furthermore, Gasum agrees to communicate this collaboration in its own communication channels. The progress of the initiative will be monitored regularly in joint meetings.

Duration of the commitment is five years. Implementation of commitment is followed up together with BSAG on a yearly basis.