VZCZCXRO5750
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHHE #0580 2111030
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301030Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3621
INFO RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ EPA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000580 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
STATE PASS FOR OES/EFENDLEY 
WHITE HOUSE FOR CEQ/DBANKS 
EPA FOR PGUNNING 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG TRGY SENV EAGR PINR FI
SUBJECT: FINNISH MINISTER KEEN TO EXPAND BIOGAS USAGE 
 
REF: HELSINKI 00131, HELSINKI 00173 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Finland's Minister of Trade and Industry recently 
returned from a two-day fact finding mission in Germany to examine 
German use of biogas and other renewable energy resources.  This 
trip may signal an increased emphasis by Pekkarinen -- a strong 
advocate of renewable energy -- in developing domestic biogas 
resources.  A supporter of international efforts to increase the use 
of renewable energy sources, particularly in Central America, 
Finland may prove to be a strong partner in the Methane to Markets 
Partnership in the future.  End Summary. 
 
Minister Explores Biogas Use in Germany 
--------------------------------------- 
¶2. (U) Finnish Trade and Industry Minister Mauri Pekkarinen (Center 
Party) recently returned from a two-day visit to Germany where he 
studied German efforts to develop new renewable energy resources, 
particularly utilizing biogas.  During the visit, Pekkarinen toured 
a new biogas facility in Pliening, Germany that produces biogas (a 
mixture of gases including methane, CH4, and carbon dioxide, CO2) 
from agricultural crops that is fed directly into the existing 
natural gas network.  Pekkarinen also met with Werner Schnappauf, 
Bavarian Minister of State for People and the Environment, as well 
as officials from German energy giant E.ON.  Building upon the GOF's 
plan to develop additional alternative sources of energy, Pekkarinen 
also visited geothermal and solar power facilities in Germany. 
 
A Case for Biogas in Finland 
---------------------------- 
¶3. (SBU) Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen has consolidated control of 
energy/climate change issues under the leadership of his Center 
Party.  The current GOF plan sets high expectations for addressing 
climate change and building clean energy capacity, with biofuels 
playing a leading role in this strategy.  The GOF plan also states 
that technology is essential in addressing energy and environmental 
challenges in the future.  A strong advocate of biofuels and biomass 
sources, Pekkarinen has vocally stated that energy generation must 
come from diverse sources beyond simply fossil fuels and nuclear 
power. 
 
¶4. (U) Though a small player in methane recovery due to its overall 
size, Finland has been utilizing methane from landfills for power 
generation for nearly a decade.  Methane is gathered from almost 
forty landfills in Finland including the largest landfill in the 
Nordic countries, Ammassuo.  Further reflecting E.ON's great 
interest in methane as a source of power, E.ON's district heating 
plant in Espoo (Finland's third largest city) uses the methane from 
the Ammassuo landfill to provide equivalent heating for over 10,000 
detached homes.  Finland also reclaims methane from wastewater and 
solid waste treatment plants, industrial sites, and farms.  To 
further signal his personal interest in expanding methane use, 
Pekkarinen was joined on his fact finding trip to Germany by Erkki 
Kalmari, owner of a small farm that produces methane for automobiles 
in Pekkarinen's home town of Jyvaskyla.  Kalmari has created some 
localized interest in Finland's biofuels market, and Pekkarinen -- 
who proudly drives a methane-powered car -- frequently stops at his 
farm to fuel up. 
 
International Support of Renewable Energy Projects 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
¶5. (U) Since 2002, the GOF has sponsored a unique project in Central 
America that encourages the development of renewable and clean 
energy sources in the region.  The Energy and Environment 
Partnership with Central America (EEP), a 7 million euro program, 
has already supported over 100 promising renewable energy projects 
in Central America that would otherwise lack necessary funding. 
Modeled after the U.S. private-public partnership concepts, many of 
the renewable energy projects have focused on energy from biogas. 
In fact, the last EEP Forum in February 2007 dealt specifically with 
securing funding for biogas projects in the region. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Comment. First raised during the U.S.-EU High Level 
Dialogue on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development 
in Helsinki last October, the Methane to Markets Partnership (M2M) 
continues to be a strong talking point for Ambassador Ware and the 
Economic Section when visiting with GOF officials including 
Pekkarinen. While showing polite interest, GOF officials have yet to 
proactively inquire further about M2M; however, Pekkarinen's recent 
trip may represent a renewed interest in methane use in Finland, 
holding the door open for the GOF joining M2M in the future.  An 
engaged partner in many international organizations, membership in 
M2M would be a natural fit for Finland, especially considering its 
existing international commitment to finance projects utilizing 
biogas in Central America.  End comment.