Biometa Finland Oy will deliver a pilot-scale, fourth-generation hybrid bioreactor to Pohjois-Suomen Biokaasu Oy
for processing municipal wastewater. The delivery of this new type of high-rate bioreactor is part of the second
phase of Pohjois-Suomen Biokaasu Oy’s “Northern Circular Economy Ecosystem” project, for which the Ministry
of the Environment has granted a 65% investment subsidy
The fourth-generation hybrid bioreactor incorporates technology further developed by Biometa Finland Oy, as well
as combined operating principles from previous generation solutions. This is presumably the world’s first
commercial CEGSB (Carrier Enhanced Granular Sludge Bed) bioreactor to be delivered in this size class. The
CEGSB technology is designed to efficiently reduce the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of incoming municipal
wastewater biologically, while simultaneously producing biogas under constantly changing process conditions. The
optimal placement for the reactor is therefore before the main wastewater treatment processes. This aims to both
enhance the efficiency of these processes and significantly increase the wastewater treatment plant’s own energy
production. Compared to commonly used biogas reactors worldwide, the physical size of the CEGSB bioreactor in
this case is estimated to be 250 times smaller for the same wastewater pretreatment capacity and efficiency. The
bioreactor will be delivered ready for operation during 2025. The goal is to begin piloting at the Ranua wastewater
treatment plant in early 2026 and to verify the technology’s functionality through long-term measurements in an
industrial environment. Mika Impiö from Pohjois-Suomen Biokaasu Oy, Juha-Matti Sääskilahti from Ranua Infra
Oy, and Riitta Alin from Biometa Finland Oy state that it is great to jointly promote novel, domestic environmental
technology. This is seen as an innovation with significant international potential and the ability to improve the state
of the environment.