Eiranranta heat pump plant
The Eiranranta heat pump plant produces district heating and district cooling for southern Helsinki by recovering thermal energy from treated wastewater. The facility was completed in August 2026.
The project has received funding from the European Union's NextGenerationEU programme through Finland’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP).
Recovering thermal energy from treated wastewater
The Eiranranta heat pump plant generates heat from treated wastewater at exceptionally low temperatures. This wastewater has already been used for district heating production at the Katri Vala heat pump plant.
The plant has a district heating capacity of approximately 90 megawatts and a district cooling capacity of approximately 60 megawatts. It produces around 300 gigawatt-hours of heat annually.
Producing district heating and cooling from treated wastewater
The facility is expected to reduce Helen’s heat production carbon dioxide emissions by more than 80,000 tonnes per year compared with fossil fuel-based heat production. This reduction is achieved primarily by replacing fossil fuel-based heat production during the winter season and by providing district cooling during the summer.
Demand for district cooling is growing in Helsinki, and the new facility increases cooling production capacity in an area where demand is particularly high.
Making use of wastewater thermal energy in two stages
The treated wastewater used by the Eiranranta heat pump plant is already utilised in two processes at the Katri Vala heat pump plant. After these processes, it is returned to the wastewater tunnel at temperatures as low as around five degrees Celsius.
Even at this stage, the wastewater still contains recoverable thermal energy. The modern heat pump technology at the Eiranranta plant enables this remaining energy to be captured and used for district heating production.
After the remaining thermal energy has been recovered, the treated wastewater is directed back to the discharge tunnel leading to the sea. As a result, the water released into the Baltic Sea is cooler than before, reducing the amount of thermal energy transferred to the marine environment.
Frequently asked questions
We have ended the use of coal in our energy production and are targeting a transition away from combustion-based heat production by 2040. After closing the Hanasaari and Salmisaari coal-fired power plants, we are replacing their production with a range of solutions, including heat pumps, thermal energy storage and bioenergy-based heat production.
The construction of the Eiranranta heat pump plant started with excavation work in January 2023.
The Eiranranta heat pump plant is located in Munkkisaari, Helsinki.
The Eiranranta heat pump plant helps stabilise district heating costs. As Helen increasingly relies on heat pumps and less on fossil fuels for heat production, our production costs become less exposed to changes in fuel taxes and emissions allowance prices.