Circular economy company Syklo aims to grow nationally

From the beginning of June, Oulun Energia will move its circular economy operations to its newly established circular economy company Syklo, which will recycle waste into valuable raw materials. The transfer of assets will make it possible to pursue a greater share of the Finnish circular economy market and to invest in the development of new solutions to improve the rate of recycling and re-use of waste. 

Syklo currently includes Oulu sorting plant, which represents the latest technology, the waste service solutions for Oulu ecopower plant, and various innovations enabling a circular economy. Syklo will invest significantly in reducing the carbon footprint of construction waste and material and in developing bio-based products that bind carbon. There will be no change in the ownership base in connection with the transfer of assets.

“Syklo is an important part of our overall strategy to mitigate climate change and to be a leader in the circular economy, where our technological expertise is top class, also by international standards. Our ambition is to grow outside the Oulu region and to use new innovations to develop existing circular economy operations. Waste recovery is currently more important than ever for the future of the energy industry and our planet,” says Juha Juntunen, former CEO of the Oulun Energia Group, which owns Syklo.

“The circular economy will guarantee there are enough raw materials even in future. We must rid ourselves of the ‘throwaway culture,’ as we should be able to use materials longer and ultimately recover them at their highest possible degree of processing. We’re excited to work with our partners to create a profitable and sustainable future with the help of the circular economy,” explains Syklo’s managing director Teemu Koskela, previously the circular economy director at Oulun Energia. 

Syklo has Finland’s most efficient waste recovery rates

Syklo offers businesses Finland’s most efficient waste reception, treatment, and processing services, making the circular economy easy and financially worthwhile. The aim is to increase the recycling and reuse rates of commercial and construction waste through solutions aimed at closing the cycles of materials and through reusing low-value bio-streams to create products that bind carbon.

For example, construction and demolition waste in particular is a huge problem in the construction industry and significantly increases the carbon footprint of the industry. The sorting plant, which opened in Oulu in 2020 and will now become part of Syklo, is, however, able to recover almost all waste from the construction industry. Materials suitable for recycling are sorted from the waste and the remainder is processed into SRF (Solid Recovered Fuel). This significantly reduces the need for fossil fuels and virgin biomasses.

It is not possible to reach similar rates of recovery for construction, demolition, commercial, and industrial waste fractions in Finland at this scale. Syklo aims to save 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year.

Syklo in a nutshell

• Syklo’s circular economy system comprises the waste sorting plant in Rusko, Oulu, the provision of waste service solutions for the Laanila ecopower plant in Oulu, and, together with our network of partners, development of ash and slag recovery.
• Syklo’s waste treatment service receives a total of 260,000 tonnes of waste each year.
• The largely automated waste sorting plant in Rusko, Oulu treats 100,000 tonnes of waste annually. The waste consists of construction and demolition waste, as well as commercial and industrial waste.
• The waste sorting plant also accepts individual fractions, which include plastic pipes, plastic films, plasterboard, and wool.
• The waste sorting plant sorts waste into materials suitable for recycling and the remainder, around 40–50%, is made into SRF (Solid Recovered Fuel). Just 5–20% of the waste unsuitable for recycling at the sorting unit is incinerated.
• Syklo receives municipal waste from 300,000 persons. The Laanila ecopower plant utilises the waste as district heat, industrial process steam, and electric energy. The amount of energy produced by the Laanila ecopower plant could heat around 20,000 detached homes each year.

For more information, please contact:

Syklo
Teemu Koskela, Managing Director
Tel. +358 50 400 8721
teemu.koskela@syklo.fi