Aspo's ESL Shipping to enter the renewable energy market

ASPO Plc   STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE     November 25, 2015, at 17.45

Aspo's ESL Shipping to enter the renewable energy market

ESL Shipping, part of Aspo Group, and AB Fortum Värme have signed an agreement for biofuel transport. The agreement provides ESL Shipping with access to the renewable fuels transport market. The company's transport operations to the new Värtan Energy Port in Stockholm will commence at the end of this year.

"Fortum will take an important step when its Stockholm power plant switches to more sustainable energy generation and the biofuel-fired CHP plant is completed.  Biofuel is undeniably a good thing for sustainable development.  The transport agreement with ESL Shipping ensures ship transport around the year in the ever-changing conditions of the Baltic Sea, and large shipments are important in efficient operations," says Trading Manager Kjell Nilsson of Fortum.

"Our strategic aim to expand our services to new customer segments has reached yet another milestone.  We are very pleased to start bioenergy fuel consignments," says Mikki Koskinen, Managing Director of ESL Shipping Ltd.

ESL Shipping is the leading dry bulk cargo company in the Baltic Sea region. The company's fleet consists of 14 vessels, 13 fully-owned and one leased. In 2014, the volume of cargo carried by ESL Shipping amounted to approximately 12.1 million tons. ESL Shipping ensures availability of raw materials for industries and energy production throughout the year even in difficult climate conditions. Special services include loading, topping off and lightering of large ocean carriers at sea.

ASPO Plc

Aki Ojanen
CEO

Further information:
Aki Ojanen, CEO of Aspo Plc, Chairman of the Board of ESL Shipping Ltd, tel. +358 9 521 4010, aki.ojanen@aspo.com
Mikki Koskinen, Managing Director of ESL Shipping Ltd, phone +358 9 5211 or +358 50 3517791.
mikki.koskinen@eslshipping.com, www.eslshipping.com

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www.aspo.com

Aspo is a conglomerate that owns and develops business operations in Northern Europe and growth markets focusing on demanding B-to-B customers. Our strong company brands - ESL Shipping, Leipurin, Telko and Kaukomarkkinat - aim to be the market leaders in their sectors. They are responsible for their own operations, customer relationships and the development of these. Together they generate Aspo's goodwill. Aspo's Group structure and business operations are continually developed without any predefined schedules.