Helen Sähköverkko Oy
The pricing of electricity network operation was moderate
Helen Sähköverkko Oy continued to provide electricity network services to whole the City of Helsinki. In the course of the operating year, we investigated possibilities to expand operations to the areas recently annexed to Helsinki. The turnover of Helen Sähköverkko Oy was EUR 94.6 million.
Electricity consumption grew slightly
The total electricity consumption in Helsinki was 4,671 GWh (4,555 GWh in the previous year), up 2.5% over the previous year. The hourly peak demand, 783 MW, was metered on 3 January 2008 (782 MW in the previous year), when the temperature was -3°C.
At the beginning of July, the structure of consumer distribution tariffs was adjusted and the prices rose by 9% on the average. The distribution tariffs for household customers were on the average level in a national price comparison. The distribution tariff without tax for household customers was 2.00 c/kWh (1.87 c/kWh in the previous year).
A total of 484 permanent, new connections were constructed. At the end of the year, Helen Sähköverkko Oy had 342,861 consumption sites and 30,160 customer connections.
High service reliability of electricity distribution
Compared to the year 2007, there was a clear improvement in the interruption figures in 2008. The average interruption duration was 5.5 minutes per inhabitant (24.6 minutes in the previous year). After the thunder storms of 2007, several projects were launched to improve the service reliability of electricity distribution. The aim of these projects is to halve the average interruption duration experienced by customers by the end of 2015.
New substation projects were launched, remote reading expanded
The environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the 400 kV transmission connection between Länsisalmi and Vuosaari implemented in co-operation with Fingrid Oyj and Vantaan Energia Sähköverkot Oy was completed. The parties also continued to look more extensively into possibilities of developing a 400 kV network, which would cover the entire eastern part of the Helsinki metropolitan area in the longer term.
In energy metering, remote reading expanded in the centre of the city, and by the end of the year, 53,000 consumption sites (30,000 in the previous year) were within the scope of remote reading. The whole distribution area will be brought within the scope of remote reading by the end of 2013.
Because the consumption of electricity is on the increase in Helsinki, new substations will be needed to ensure the security of electricity distribution over the next few years. The excavation of the underground Kluuvi substation serving the very centre of the city was implemented as part of the construction of a service tunnel in the city centre. In the Pasila district, the excavation of the Ilmalantori substation facilities was started as part of the building of an energy tunnel. The Pukinmäki substation which is now being constructed will start operation in autumn 2009.
The location of 110 kV double overhead power line on the southern side of the Pikkukoski area by the River Vantaanjoki was changed to make way for a new residential area. Due to certain changes in the land-use plans of the Sörnäistenniemi and Hanasaari areas, numerous negotiations were carried out with the City Planning and Real Estate Departments in order to change the location of the 110 kV double overhead power line so that the reliability of electricity network operation can be secured also when the relocation is taking place.
About half of the investments in distribution networks were allocated to new construction, and the other half was allocated to modernisation of the existing network. Cabling of the overhead power line sections of the medium-voltage network was started according to a recently completed plan.
Our net investments in network operation amounted to EUR 25.8 million.
Implications of regulation
The Energy Market Authority published its so-called regulatory decisions concerning the regulatory period 2005 - 2007. According to a decision concerning Helen Sähköverkko Oy, the company's pricing has been clearly below the maximum permitted level during the above-mentioned regulatory period. The combined turnover for the above-mentioned three-year period was EUR 16.4 million lower than the maximum permitted level.
The Market Court issued its decision on an appeal concerning the regulation model for the period 2008 - 2011 on 31 December 2008. An appeal against the decision was lodged with the Supreme Administrative Court in January 2009, together with ten other urban network companies. The appeal was lodged against the principles governing the calculation of company-specific efficiency-improvement requirements. The goal is that regulation model will treat the network companies operating in a compact urban structure equally in relation to those operating in more rural circumstances.
Helen Sähköverkko Oy concentrates on electricity network operation in compliance with the Electricity Market Act and provides transmission and distribution services to its customers in the Helsinki area. Helen Sähköverkko Oy had 104 employees at the end of 2008.
Electricity transmission sale devided by voltage level
Consumption of electricity in Helsinki
Reliability of electricity distribution The annual interruption duration per client.
