Joni Lukkaroinen to steer Tampere eMethane rollout

According to Business Tampere, FREIJA's shareholders have appointed Joni Lukkaroinen as chair of the board, tasking him with overseeing the execution of a large-scale eMethane project in the Tampere region. The project, planned as a phased production facility, will use green hydrogen and biogenic CO2. It builds on earlier assessments of Tampere's suitability for hydrogen investments where site selectors assessed zoning, workforce and utilities to attract hydrogen projects. Company officials say the facility is intended as a supply source for decarbonising heavy-duty road and maritime transport across Europe.

Lukkaroinen brings more than 25 years of executive and board experience in capital-intensive industries. He has held senior roles at Neste, Metsä Group and Kronochem Group. He served as CEO of Terrafame for eight years, leading the company through industrial scale-up and major investment programmes, and he currently advises Arctial Group on a multi-billion-euro primary aluminium project in Finland.

"Finland has exceptional conditions for developing competitive clean fuel production, combining renewable energy resources, industrial competence and a predictable operating environment," Lukkaroinen said. He looks forward to supporting the company's progress toward an investment decision and future operations.

Tore Ivar Slettemoen, co-founder and majority owner, said Lukkaroinen's experience in delivering large-scale industrial projects and building stakeholder relationships will be valuable as the company moves closer to execution. The appointment is part of the firm's effort to strengthen the industrial, commercial and governance capabilities needed to develop, finance and operate clean fuel infrastructure in Europe.

He also holds chair and board roles across energy and mining-related companies, including renewable gas developer Ductor and mining company Sotkamo Silver, reflecting a focus on leaders with hands-on delivery experience for complex projects.