Nobina Finland Oy will get a half-million euro environmental bonus from HSL next year. In addition, HSL will pay nearly 405,000 euros to Oy Pohjolan Kaupunkiliikenne Ab and about 70,400 euros to Savonlinja Oy in environmental bonuses. All three companies get the bonuses for using paraffinic biodiesel produced from waste material or residue. HSL will pay the bonuses on top of normal operating compensations.
The bonuses are awarded based on a tendering process aimed at reducing carbon emissions and local emissions from bus services. With three bus companies using in total some 7 million liters of biodiesel next year, carbon emissions from bus services will decrease by nearly 15,000 tons, nitrogen oxides by 7 tons and fine particles by just over 280 kilos.
HSL received in total 40 bids from six bus operators. In addition to biodiesel, bus companies proposed using bioethanol produced from waste material or residue and using biogas. HSL ranked the bids in order of preference based on their cost-effectiveness.