Mäkelä Alu Oy is carbon neutral
Mäkelä Alu is committed to long-term climate action. Our goal is to produce aluminium profiles with the lowest possible emissions and we have already taken significant steps toward this. Today, we are proud to announce that we have achieved carbon neutrality in our own production and internal logistics.
We reached this goal by improving energy efficiency, switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and optimising our production processes. Part of our carbon dioxide emissions has been offset through verified climate actions by a third party. The offsetting was carried out through a reforestation project in cooperation with a Finnish partner. In this project, around 1,000 pine and 1,000 spruce seedlings per hectare were planted on former farmland. This solution has a real impact on the environment and benefits our local area, as the site is located in Levijoki, Alajärvi.
Energy projects that reduced our emissions
We have implemented several projects to improve energy efficiency and replace fossil fuels with renewable alternatives. The largest group of projects has received energy investment support from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland (TEM). This RRF-funded package includes a total of eight separate projects, with a combined value of over 10 million euros. Once completed, these projects will reduce our annual carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 2,800 tonnes.
The following projects have already been completed:
Electrification of billet heating, Luoma-aho (RRF)
- Replaced LPG-based billet heating with an electric system
- Reduces LPG use by approx. 300 tonnes and annual CO₂ emissions by around 900 tonnes
Waste heat recovery in the paint shop, Voikkaa (RRF)
- Process water heating without natural gas
- Reduces annual CO₂ emissions by approx. 204 tonnes
Waste heat recovery in paint shops, Luoma-aho (RRF)
- Process water heating without LPG
- Reduces annual CO₂ emissions by approx. 290 tonnes
Electricity storage and new substation, Luoma-aho (RRF)
- Upgrades to the factory’s electrical infrastructure enabled the electrification projects
Energy system upgrade at the anodising plant, Luoma-aho
- Heat pump and heat recovery systems
- A unique solution recognised with both national and international awards
- Reduces annual CO₂ emissions by approx. 800 tonnes
- Fully carbon neutral
Our reforestation project captures carbon and supports biodiversity
Our reforestation project covers seven hectares of land planted with coniferous seedlings. Our partner in the project is Carboreal Oy. The area is a former peat-rich field no longer in agricultural use. As the former cropland turns into forest, soil emissions are reduced. Deciduous trees also grow naturally in the area, and other species will be preserved during management to enhance biodiversity. The field is not included in the national carbon accounting and is no longer suitable for cultivation.
Reforestation binds carbon long term into the soil and improves ecosystem health. The carbon capture calculation is based on extensive Finnish scientific data verified by an independent third party.
On our way to carbon negativity
We will continue our work to reduce emissions in our production. For example, further electrification projects can still be implemented in different departments. Continuing our environmental work is important to us and our next goal is carbon negativity. While we don’t yet know every step it will take to reach that goal, we already know the tools that can help make it happen.
