Gasum expanded certification of its Finnish biogas plants – Standards ensure commitment to responsibility in various operations

The energy company Gasum has expanded certification of the ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 50001 management systems of its Finnish biogas plants. Certification covers the plants in Honkajoki, Huittinen, Kuopio, Oulu, Riihimäki, Turku and Vehmaa. The quality management system of Gasum’s biogas plants has earlier been certified under ISO 9001.

“We are the first operator in the biogas industry in Finland to have received certification under all four management systems. Certification is a guarantee that we operate in accordance with the requirements set and that we are committed to responsibility in all our operations. Their effectiveness is further enhanced by the fact that we encourage our suppliers and partners to meet the same requirements,” says Marja Suomela, Quality Manager, Gasum.

Improvements to energy efficiency, environmental impacts and occupational health and safety alike

Integrating standard-compliant practices into everyday operations has required long-term development work. This work has been found to have increased individual and environmental safety as well as energy efficiency. Janne Pekkala, Quality & Safety Manager, Gasum, provides some concrete examples of the results of the work: “In 2020, there was not a single injury requiring absence at Finnish biogas plants. This also enabled Gasum to be awarded Zero Accident Forum’s top safety level classification level, ”Level 1, at the world’s forefront”.

“Certification ensures harmonized working practices in all Gasum’s biogas plants. In particular, the external evaluator’s view of the level of our occupational health and safety activities, and of their points for development, provides us with a new perspective for our development work,” Suomela says.

However, the work does not stop here. Going forward, Gasum’s operations and investments will continue to focus on energy efficiency and the management of environmental impacts as well as on the safety culture. The company is systematically developing the quality of operations and products alike.

Certificates also benefit Gasum’s customers

The standardization of operations is also visible to Gasum’s customers. Extending harmonized working practices across different operations has enabled an increase in the availability of sustainable solutions as well as an increase in the availability of biogas.

”Certificates also give us a competitive edge. Public and corporate procurement and partnerships increasingly require certified systems,” Suomela says.

Besides ISO certificates, biogas is the only traffic fuel in Finland to have been awarded the Nordic Swan ecolabel. The liquefied biogas (LBG) produced at Gasum’s Turku biogas plant was awarded an international ISCC certificate, which verifies the sustainability of renewable liquefied biogas throughout the production chain.