Expo 2020 Dubai: The key to clean air inside Finland Pavilion? Carbon dioxide
Visitors’ breaths will brew the coffee they drink at Expo's Finnish pavilion
Dubai: Finland offers yet another reason to be happy – you can now enjoy your brewed coffee without harming the planet in the making of it. This sustainable drink is coming to the Finnish pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, where one of the key partners to the pavilion will demonstrate decarbonised technology.
Finnish technology group Wärtsilä developed its Power-to-X (P2X) demonstration unit in cooperation with start-up companies Soletair Power and Q Power in a bid to apply renewable energy solutions to various areas, starting with a cup of coffee.
Making fuel out of thin air
Finland’s commitment to circular economy finds representation in Wärtsilä’s decarbonisation model for a more sustainable future, making carbon-neutral synthetic fuel from carbon dioxide (CO2) found inside the Finnish pavilion.
Once the unit captures CO2 from the air, it combines it with hydrogen molecules extracted from water through electrolysis. This formula is then converted in a biomethanation process that produces synthetic methane fuel, which will be fed into the coffee-making machine for demonstration - and visitor tasting - purposes at the pavilion.
By feeding on CO2, the P2X plant also refreshes the air circulating within the pavilion.
Finland’s circular economy
The Nordic country is the first in the world to create a dedicated national roadmap on circular economy with aims of transitioning to a non-waste model by the year 2025. Under the theme of ‘Sharing future happiness’, the pavilion exhibition will focus on circular bio-economy – a vital part of the Finnish lifestyle and key to Finland’s sustainable development.
Power-to-X technologies play a major role in helping Finland reach its goal of climate neutrality and liberate itself from fossil fuels by 2035.
- The writer is an intern with Gulf News.