Finnish food group to build €8m bioenergy plant

Raisio, a Finland-based food group, will build a bioenergy plant in the town it shares its name with in southwest Finland.

The 9.5MW plant, worth around €8m, will be powered by locally-produced wood chips. The facility will produce steam and heating for the company's operations and for businesses in the Raisio area.

In a statement, Raisio said the construction of own bioenergy plant is part of the company's goal to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy "whenever it is ecologically and economically viable".

Construction work is scheduled to begin towards the end of the year and the facility will be launched during mid-2017.

Raisio said: "With the investment, carbon dioxide emissions from the products made using heat energy generated in Raisio's industrial area will be reduced significantly.

"Steam loss in heat energy supply will decrease to a fraction of the current, and environmental emissions from the energy production will decline with Raisio's own bioenergy plant."