Honkajoki, located in the Satakunta region, is a small municipality of app. 1900 inhabitants but with ambitious goals in sustainability and green energy production. In the area lies the eco-industrial park of Kirkkokallio, demonstrating unique industrial symbioses of bioenergy and food production corporations in an almost self-sufficient closed system. Organic waste produced by its greenhouse and convenience food businesses is processed inside the park. It is turned into new products and biogas which is burnt for heat and energy, while additional electricity is generated by nearby wind power plants.
Food production with wind power
The Kirkkokallio area has been growing since the 1980s. The first company was Honkajoki Ltd, which presently processes and/or recycles most of Finland’s abattoir by-products. Several large greenhouse entrepreneurs, such as Honkatarhat Ltd and KKK Vihannes Ltd, as well as the convenience food producer Lihajaloste Korpela have since started operating in Kirkkokallio. Honkatarhat produces about one third of Finland’s potted herbs and vegetables while KKK-Vihannes produces one third of Finland’s organic tomatoes. The municipality of Honkajoki commissioned an investigation on the area’s potential for wind power in 2009. The resulting report stated that it would be possible to place a total of 22 plants in the area. The nine wind power plants of Kirkkokallio have been operational since the summer of 2013, and provide energy to nearby residents in addition to the park. The plants are 120m tall 2.4MW Nordex N117 turbines, totalling to 21.6MW in capacity.
Circulation and recycling
Honkajoki Ltd collects animal-based raw materials from the meat industry to be processed in their factory. These materials are recycled into fodder, protein feed, rendered fat (for e.g. biodiesel production) and fertilisers. The company provides self-sufficiently the energy needed for its operations, and the energy balance of the recycling process is in fact positive. Surplus heat is stored in water which is then circulated to heat the greenhouses of Honkatarhat Ltd and KKK-Vihannes Ltd, totalling up to 7.1 hectares. The €8.5m biogas plant owned by the cleantech company Gasum Biotehdas Ltd generates biogas from organic waste reclaimed from Honkajoki Ltd and other local businesses. The plant can process an annual biowaste amount of 60 000 tonnes. About 32000MWh of this biogas is delivered each year to the electricity company Vatajankosken sähkö Ltd, to be utilised in the area’s 3MW engine power plant to provide heat and energy for the park’s operation.
Spotlight on: The beginning of an extensive collaboration
The Honkajoki wind power plants marked the beginning of a large contract involving large-scale international collaboration. The wind park was the first project of the investment company Taaleri’s (formerly Taaleritehdas) larger frame contract with the German supplier Nordex Energy GmbH. This contract is worth over €300m (the share of Honkajoki being about €40m) and consists of constructing up to 111 turbines in Finland. The plants of Honkajoki were ready ahead of time, and representatives of Nordex and Taaleri have expressed mutual satisfaction over their collaboration. The EU obligates Finland to increase the use of renewable energy sources, and the goal set by the government is to generate 6% of total required electricity (or 6TWh) with wind by 2020. The industry is growing rapidly: total wind power capacity increased by 40% during 2014 and almost doubled during 2015 (from 627 to 1005 MW). On the other hand, the lack of official, binding goals by the government for 2030 might cause uncertainty for future investors and slow down progress.
Regional dimension
The green solutions of the park save money and resources for the companies and have received both national and international interest from businesses and institutions. The park brings together many large-scale businesses to Satakunta, and presents a platform for expansion and future growth. By now, revenue of the companies has reached €100m and the park employs more than 200 people.
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