Turku One Hour Train Ltd seeks solutions for emission reductions through placement of surplus materials and circular economy

In the planning of a new train line from Helsinki to Turku, various solutions are developed for reducing construction emissions and promoting circular economy. New solutions for placement of surplus materials and planning of transports are currently explored in cooperation with Arkance Systems Finland Oy and ORIS.

The planned double-track rail link to Turku, ‘Turun tunnin juna’, is approximately 150 kilometers long and extends from Espoo to Kupittaa in Turku. A completely new section of the track extends approximately 98 kilometers from Espoo to Salo via Vihti and Lohja. The construction of the project will produce an estimated 10 million cubic meters of surplus material, mainly rock.

– In massive infrastructure projects, the surplus materials produced in construction along with their transport and placement are a major source of CO2 emissions. Our project planning includes investigating various means of reducing emissions and environmental impact, says Pekka Ottavainen, Managing Director of Turku One Hour Train Ltd.

Placement of materials may promote circular economy

New solutions are currently being sought by utilizing the sustainable development platform developed by ORIS sas, a partner of Arkance Systems Finland. The idea is to collect planning data and available environmental data to a cooperative platform where the placement and utilization of land materials can be planned. Using the available data, the software calculates the environmental impact of different options, taking transport distances and interim storage into account, among other things.

Developed in France, the ORIS platform has been previously used in European road projects, in particular.

– For the first time that we know of, sustainable development is optimized in railway planning at the European level in this magnitude. It is significant for us to be involved in international cooperation and bring new solutions to the Finnish construction industry, says Jukka Kivelä, Service Director of Arkance Systems Finland.

The upcoming work will be interwoven with studies conducted for the project by the Geological Survey of Finland. A mineral aggregate and circular economy study is currently underway, examining the quality of the aggregate produced by excavation in the area covering the line from Espoo to Salo. The results of the studies are used to assess the suitability of the minerals in various construction aggregates, such as track ballast, asphalt and concrete.

– Our goal is to circulate the surplus land materials as efficiently as possible and use them in, for instance, other projects in the area, says Ottavainen.

The ORIS platform is currently piloted in the planning of the Espoo–Salo railway line, similar to the studies of the Geological Survey of Finland. The goal is to extend the use of the software to include the planning of the double-track rail link between Salo and Turku.

-We are thrilled to contribute to this great and ambitious project, by bringing ORIS technology, through materials digitization, at the heart of an environmental focused project, declared Nicolas Miravalls, CEO of ORIS. 

More information:

Pekka Ottavainen, Managing Director, Turku One Hour Train Ltd, phone 0400 261 097

Jukka Kivelä, Service Director, Arkance Systems Finland Oy, phone +358 50 5013424

Nicolas Miravalls, Managing Director, ORIS sas, phone +33 646 430 566

Turku One Hour Train Ltd (Turun Tunnin Juna Oy)

Turun Tunnin Juna Oy was founded in December 2020 to develop railway plans for the Espoo–Salo link and the Salo–Turku double-track link and to finance said plans until the new line is ready for construction. In addition to the Finnish government, company stakeholders include Turku, Espoo, Helsinki, Salo, Lohja, Vihti and Kirkkonummi.

Arkance Systems Finland Oy

Arkance Systems Finland Oy operates in the construction industry, offering software solutions and services for the optimization of construction and manufacturing processes. The company partners with the French software developer ORIS sas.

ORIS sas

ORIS is a digital materials platform that enables professionals and authorities to make data-driven decisions for more sustainable infrastructures. The platform computes the various parameters linked to the project in its real context, helping to drive investments according to priorities: carbon footprint mitigation, increased durability, local materials circularity, cost reduction, etc.