Auris Energy’s biogas team was further strengthened in April when Santtu Onikki joined as Production Manager at the Mäntsälä biogas plant. He is responsible for smooth day-to-day operations, efficiency and continuous development.
“The Mäntsälä plant impressed me straight away. It is clean, modern and exceptionally well designed,” Onikki says.
A strong background in the process industry
The 36-year-old, who holds a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering, brings wide-ranging experience in the process industry, team leadership and business development. He graduated from Lappeenranta University of Technology in 2022. During and after his studies, he gained experience at companies including St1, Canpack and, most recently, Fortum (formerly Ekokem).
Santtu worked as an Operations Engineer at Fortum’s physicochemical treatment plant in Riihimäki. His responsibilities included the plant’s resource planning and monitoring investment projects.
“It was a fast-paced role. As an Operations Engineer, you really had the opportunity to take ownership of whole areas of work and influence how things were actually done day to day.”
Before Fortum, Onikki worked at Canpack’s beverage can factory as the Finnish link to its international World Class Manufacturing team. His work involved developing good practices and implementing them at different factories.
“It also showed me how even small changes can generate huge savings in large production processes. Developing reporting tools, for example, can achieve significant savings: time is money, and a lot of time is a lot of money.”
Biogas captured his interest
Santtu’s career in the process industry began at St1, where he worked for more than five years. His main workplace was the combined bioethanol and biogas production plant in Hämeenlinna.
“Even as a student, when I first heard about bioethanol and biogas, they really interested me. Once I saw the processes in practice, I quickly realised that this was a genuinely interesting and varied field. A biogas plant can surprise you every day, for better or worse. My best career memories are specifically connected to biogas.”
Onikki is now ready to take his expertise to the next level in Auris Energy’s growing and developing environment. The Mäntsälä plant expansion is progressing on schedule, and reinforcement work on the tanks is nearing completion. The site’s most striking structures will soon take shape as construction begins on a bioreactor with a volume of thousands of cubic metres.
“I fully believe in Auris’s vision of advancing Finland’s circular economy and renewable energy production. It is wonderful to be part of this story.”