Renewable energy sources in brief

Current production and ongoing projects

Hydropower

Hydropower is a traditional form of energy production in Helsinki. Helsingin Energia has hydropower capacity in the Kymijoki and Kemijoki hydropower plants of its subsidiaries and associated companies. The total production output of the hydropower plants is currently 107 MW. In hydropower plants, power upgrades are carried out in connection with plant modernisations. The Ahvenkoski modernisation project was launched in 2009 and is now ready. Small-scale hydropower is also produced in the Vanhakaupunki museum hydropower plant. We will acquire new hydropower capacity whenever possible.

Wind power

Helsingin Energia is a shareholder in Suomen Hyötytuuli Oy and Tunturituuli Oy. There are eleven wind generators in Reposaari in the City of Pori, nine in the City of Raahe and three in Lapland. Helsingin Energia is participating in their further development. A large wind farm is being implemented off the coast of Pori. Further investigations and technical design work are currently underway.

Suomen Merituuli Oy, a joint venture of Helsingin Energia and EPV Energia Oy, is building large wind farms of 500–1,000 MW on the coasts of the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland. This will correspond to the electricity need of approximately 800,000 one-bedroom apartments. Suomen Merituuli Oy has signed an agreement with Metsähallitus on the reservation of the open sea areas of Siipyy and Inkoo, which are designated as offshore wind power production areas in the regional plans. The EIA process of the projects is completed. Further technical design and planning are currently underway.

Construction of offshore wind farms in other locations directed by land use planning is investigated.

The 12-metre windmill of the tropical garden Gardenia functions as a tool for environmental education for pupils in the Viikki area. Helsingin Energia’s ‘environmental penny electricity account’ has supported the building of miniature windmills at the Linnanmäki amusement park.

Read more about Helsingin Energia and wind power

Waste water heat and district cooling

The five large heat pumps of the Katri Vala heating and cooling plant can produce 90 MW of district heat and 60 MW of district cooling in a single process. The main energy source is the thermal energy of purified waste water of Helsinki residents. Heat is produced with the Katri Vala heat pumps when peak-load heat production is required in addition to combined heat and power plants. Waste water heat reduces the use of fossil fuels.

District cooling is produced in the winter from cold sea water, which is an exhaustless source of cooling energy.  The process is very simple because no other equipment is needed in addition to heat exchangers and pumps. One-third of the annual district cooling energy is obtained from the sea. In the summer, district cooling is obtained from purified waste water and with absorption machines, using unutilised heat from combined heat and power plants as operating energy. The latest energy-efficiency measure is installing IT service centres in a district cooling tunnel, which enables the cooling of machinery and utilisation of their waste heat. 

Heat accumulators and cooling water stores

Helsingin Energia is using large water tanks for storing heat and cool. The heat accumulators with a total power of 200 MW are located in Vuosaari and Salmisaari. The accumulators enable regulation of 24-hour district heat production. There is also a cooling water store in Salmisaari. New cooling water stores are currently under construction and design in several locations.

Biomass

In view of the energy supply system, biomasses are best suited for combustion close to their production areas in boilers built for that purpose. Co-combustion of wood pellets in the pulverised coal boilers of Salmisaari has been studied. Small-scale co-combustion of pellets in coal-fired plants will be successful once the storage and feeder equipment have been built. Biomass gasification is also studied. Reed canary grass and other field biomass are used as fuel in special rural locations.

In 2008, testing of co-combustion with logging residue was successfully carried out at the Hanasaari power plant with the support of Tekes. In the tests, logging residue was first pulverised and then combusted among the coal. Forest-based biomass, either as biogas or bio coal, plays a key role in reaching the 2020 target with respect to renewable energy sources.

Biogas

Landfill gas
Utilisation of methane produced by the closed landfill of Vuosaari for the purpose of district heat production in a 2-MW heating plant began already in 1991. Future use of biogas depends on the measures to be taken by the owner of the landfill site.

Gasification into the natural gas network
Helsingin Energia is investigating the development of biogas technology. Gasification of forest-based biomass close to the procurement areas and feeding of synthetic gas into the natural gas pipeline provide an alternative to the replacement of natural gas, for example, in Vuosaari. There is also a syngas project going on together with Gasum and Metsä-Botnia, aiming to build a biorefinery to Joutseno. Biogas produced by digestion could also be utilised if it is fed into the natural gas network.

Bio coal

Helsingin Energia is actively taking part in the development of future biofuels. Bio coal is produced by roasting biomass in oxygen-free conditions to obtain biofuel with a high energy density, containing similar properties to coal. The transport and storage of bio coal would probably be managed with existing fuel logistics.  Bio coal is seen as an up-and-coming alternative as a significant co-fuel in coal-fired power plants.

Future development projects

Multi-fuel power plant

The Tekes project launched in co-operation with Pohjolan Voima in 2007 continues; the project focuses on the implementation of a major multifuel power plant. The primary energy source in the power plant will be biomass, and natural gas and coal will be used as co-fuel. The proportion of renewable energy is maximised and carbon dioxide capture is investigated. There is also a follow-on project going on as part of the development programme towards a carbon-neutral future. Future Multi-fuel power plant planning to Vuosaari is going on.

Bio oils

Substituting bio-oil for the heavy fuel oil used by peak-load and reserve heating plants is investigated, and the technical usability of, e.g. tall oil pitch, pyrolysis oil or other bio-oils is also studied. Two burners of the new Hanasaari peak-load and reserve heating plant are designed to also accommodate bio-oil. The possibility of co-combustion of bio-oils in CHP plants is also investigated.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS)

Technologies for large-scale carbon dioxide capture are developed. As a shareholder of Teollisuuden Voima, Helen was involved in the investigation of carbon capture possibilities at the Meri-Pori coal-fired power plant.  However, a decision was made to close the project due to technical and financial risks. Carbon dioxide further studies are also actively done through Cleen Oy, which is Strategic centre for science, technology and innovation of the Finnish energy and environment cluster.

Waste to energy

The energy contained in waste, treated in different ways, can be utilised in gasification plants, mixed-fuel incineration plants or fixed bed combustion plants. In its waste management solution, the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council YTV has decided to implement a fixed bed combustion plant for municipal waste. No tender was submitted on the Helsingin Energia project by a decision of the Technical Committee of the City of Helsinki.

Solar energy

Solar energy can be utilised either passively or actively. The location of buildings has a great impact on the need for heating and cooling.  Helsingin Energia is involved in the utilisation of active solar energy in Viikki. In an experimental house utilising solar power, the solar panels located on the balcony balustrades produce part of the electricity needed for lighting and ventilating the building. If private consumers wish to utilise solar panels, they can be connected to the grid with appropriate arrangements and subject to technical conditions being met.

Solar heat means the utilisation of the thermal radiation of the sun in the heating of buildings and service water. In Viikki, there are 380 dwellings covered by the solar heating scheme, receiving part of their heating from solar collectors located on the roofs of the buildings. Decentralised, small-scale heating systems are more suitable in rural areas. In tomorrow’s world, the sun may be the principle, inexhaustible and almost harmless source of energy.

Fuel cells

In fuel cells, the main fuel used is hydrogen, and natural gas can also be used as a fuel. As the fuel cell technology develops, it can be utilised first in smaller objects of special nature, as well as in transport and distributed heat and power (CHP) generation systems. Helsingin Energia has been involved in research projects on the subject.

Updated in December 2011

Further information:
Martti Hyvönen, Environmental Director, tel. +358 9 617 2075
Tea Erätuuli, Senior Adviser, tel. +358 9 617 2415