Finland’s largest planned biorefinery faces final land purchase offer in dispute

A dispute over land for Finland’s largest proposed biorefinery has intensified after the municipality of Oripää made a final offer to Pöytyä parish for the contested plot, reports Finnish broadcaster Yle.

The municipality seeks to acquire the 40-hectare site to rezone it for the biorefinery, currently owned by the parish. On Monday, Oripää’s municipal board raised its offer to €600,000—€500,000 upfront and the remainder paid over five years—declaring negotiations closed. If the parish’s governing council rejects the bid, the municipality plans to initiate compulsory purchase proceedings.

Pöytyä parish had earlier proposed two alternatives: a €900,000 sale (€600,000 immediately, the rest over ten years) or a partial purchase of 20 hectares for €450,000, with an option to buy more land later. Oripää’s municipal director, Timo Tolppanen, dismissed the partial sale, noting the total cost could rise to €1.26 million and that the refinery’s exact location on the plot remains undecided. Additional forested areas around the site are also needed for landscaping.

The parish’s highest decision-making body, the council, will now decide whether to accept Oripää’s final offer.

Finland’s largest biogas plant

The planned Varsinais-Suomi biorefinery would be Finland’s largest biogas facility upon completion, processing around 600,000 tonnes of raw materials annually. Roughly 85% would be manure collected from farms, with the remainder comprising field biomass and food industry byproducts.

Business Finland has granted the project a €52 million tax credit, applicable from 2028 once the investment is made and the plant operational. The facility, developed by Wega Group, would be located about two kilometres from Oripää’s centre. An earlier plan to build in neighbouring Pöytyä was abandoned due to local opposition.