Finavia signs agreement for carbon neutral heating at Rovaniemi Airport

Credit: Finavia

Finnish airport operator, Finavia, and Napapiirin Energia ja Vesi (Neve) have entered into an agreement for the heating of Rovaniemi Airport (RVN) with carbon-neutral district heating.

“We have worked systematically to reduce the climate impact of our airports for over 10 years now. We reached an important milestone two years ago when all of our airports became carbon neutral. Our objective is to achieve zero net emissions in 2030, and we continue on our journey towards emissions-free airports. The cooperation with Neve is an important step along this journey,” says Henri Hansson, Senior Vice President of Airport Infrastructure, Sustainability, Safety, Security and Compliance at Finavia.

The climate impact of airports originates from the heating of buildings and the energy consumption of vehicles. “In order to eliminate our carbon dioxide emissions, we must focus on increasing the use of renewable energy and improving our energy efficiency,” Hansson points out.

Vihreä Lähilämpö (Neve’s carbon-neutral district heating product) is an excellent choice for Rovaniemi Airport, because it supports the key measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions that Finavia has identified in its climate programme. Neve produces its district heat from renewable and locally-sourced fuels. 

According to Kristian Gullsten, CEO of Neve, the company generates heat mainly from wood-based fuels: Wood chips and wood industry byproducts such as dust, bark, cutter shavings and recycled wood. Neve is also planning to use energy generated by burning dried sewage sludge in the near future.

“We have made significant investments in reducing our emissions, and our objective is to make all of our production emissions-free by the end of this decade. Thanks to our Vihreä Lähilämpö, we can offer carbon neutral district heating to the majority of our customers,” Gullsten says.