Bakery aims at zero greenhouse gas emissions

Carbon dioxide offset, heat recovery, ethanol production among plans for new bakery and logistics centre

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By Jukka Perttu
     
     A deceptively ordinary-looking construction site can be seen at Emalikatu in Järvenpää, north of Helsinki. In reality the site is part of a pioneering effort in fighting greenhouse gas emissions.
     Primula, which has declared itself a carbon neutral company, is setting up a bakery and logistics centre costing EUR 35 million, where it plans to concentrate all bakery activities, sales, and administration.
     The company is cutting its carbon dioxide emissions in many different ways, and the emissions that are left, the company plans to neutralise by buying voluntary emission quotas from a wind-powered electric plant in Turkey.
     
“By minimising our emissions and buying carbon credits from a wind plant, our carbon footprint will be zero”, says Juha Valkamo, CEO of the family company.
      Primula plans to stay carbon neutral into the foreseeable future.
      The carbon footprint is to be measured by Pöyry, which has also designed the bakery and logistics company. The footprint even includes the emissions from the daily commute of the employees.
     
In the new plant, the heat from the refrigeration systems will heat hot water, and the heat from the warm air that is vented out of the building is to be recovered to heat the incoming fresh air.
      The plant will produce an estimated 330,000 kg. of biological waste a year. Primula will sell it to the St1 energy company which will use it in the production of ethanol.
      The ethanol fuel will then be sold back to Primula for its fleet of vehicles. Valkamo is currently looking for the right models that will operate on ethanol.
     
Valkamo says that the waste products from the bakery can be used to produce enough ethanol to run all of the company’s 25 cars.
      Valkamo himself says that he plans to buy an electric car.
      He calculates that the move to carbon neutrality is a worthwhile investment. “We are saving energy, and improving our image in the eyes of the consumer. We have already received positive feedback.”
      “In any case, before long there will be various emission taxes and tougher emission regulations. We felt that it is a good idea to sharply reduce emissions already now.”
     
The cost of buying carbon offsets for emissions in the tens of thousands of euros.
      The bakery and logistics centre building in Järvenpää will be owned by the work pension company Varma. Primula has signed a long-term lease for the building, which is expected to be ready nearly in about one year’s time.
      The current bakery on Teollisuuskatu in the Helsinki district of Vallila will be demolished when the new location is built. Until then, most of the heat from the bread ovens will continue to heat the open air.
      In the new centre, the heat from the ovens is to be used for the heating of the building’s hot water, Valkamo says. He is also interested in looking into ways to utilise wind and solar power at the Järvenpää site.

More on this subject:
 BACKGROUND: Voluntary emission offsets increasing

Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finland aims at 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (16.10.2009)
  Fewer Finns willing to pay for climate protection (8.10.2009)
  Finnish greenhouse emissions within Kyoto protocol framework (5.10.2009
  Vanhanen: Climate technology can help in downturn (17.10.2008)

JUKKA PERTTU / Helsingin Sanomat
jukka.perttu@hs.fi