Freija is progressing the development of one of Europe’s largest clean fuel production facilities in the City of Nokia, Tampere region, Finland, to meet strong demand for eMethane driven by adopted EU directives. Plant development and operation will trigger material regional investments and local job creation, while enabling substantial CO₂-emission reductions from European transport.

Freija will make eMethane at scale from clean H₂ and biogenic CO₂ based on a cost competitive, proprietary and modularized solution with an integrated electrolyzer facility. Following site selection, the company has issued the environmental impact assessment (EIA) program report and has started front-end engineering and design studies based on a CAPEX and OPEX efficient development concept with up to three phases. Each phase equals one plant with a capacity of up to 58,000 tpy of renewable eMethane. Production will start in 2029.

“Finland has an ambitious low-carbon target, supportive and predictable operating conditions for the green industry, fossil-free energy and a highly qualified workforce. The Tampere region is the ideal location with the capacity to scale, access to biogenic CO₂, renewable power supply, strong local partners and closeness to export ports and the national gas grid,” said Kristian Hauglum, the CEO of Freija.

“European heavy transport and shipping companies are driving strong demand for eMethane as they seek to reduce emissions and comply with EU regulations. Freija has already signed MoUs for a majority of the volume from the first plant and we are progressing negotiations for additional substantial volumes which will support long-term value creation for all stakeholders,” added Hauglum.

Clean fuels are carbon neutral alternatives replacing fossil fuels for hard-to-abate transport sectors such as trucking and shipping. eMethane is a ready-to-use renewable fuel of non-biological origin (RFNBO) and a direct replacement for fossil gas, using existing technology and infrastructure including direct injection into theEuropean natural gas grid. Today, transport represent 16% of global CO₂ emissions. The eMethane from one of Freija’s plants will enable the removal of 200,000 tpy of carbon when replacing fossil fuels.

The selected site covers 15 hectares, with the potential to expand nearby. Power grid development is ongoing in cooperation with local transmission system operators. Freija will also generate excessive heat which will feed into the Tampere region district heating system, adding further positive local ripple effects.

“We have a highly efficient plant design enabling economies of scale, flexible operations and lower costs by utilizing power price variations created by increased intermittent renewable energy production,” said Reidar Strande, the co-founder and COO of Freija. “This is backed by a dedicated team with extensive industry experience and proven project execution capabilities from building and operating gas infrastructure. Together with local partners, we are progressing towards final investment decision for the first plant in 2026.”