Review of 2021
Helen strengthened its position in the wind power market
Helen’s wind power production will increase five-fold as a result of its wind farm investments last year. The company is still seeking new, interesting wind farm projects in Finland. It is also studying several potential investment projects in European growth companies in the wind power sector.
Gigantic heat caverns in Mustikkamaa were filled with water
The filling of underground heat caverns in Mustikkamaa with water was completed, and the use of the heat caverns for heating homes in Helsinki is a step closer.
Carbon-neutral district heat from the waste heat of data centres: homes in Helsinki to be heated by Telia’s data centre
Telia and the energy company Helen agreed on the utilisation of heat produced in a data centre. Waste heat collected from Telia’s modern data centre in Pitäjänmäki will be transmitted into the district heating network for distribution to homes and properties in Helsinki as from June 2022. In future, the data centre can provide heat for the homes of more than 20,000 Helsinki residents.
Helen’s new wind power farm will be built together with clients
As a result of an agreement signed by the real estate asset management company Sponda and Helen, 100% of the electricity consumption of Sponda’s properties will be covered with emission-free wind power. The agreement supports Sponda’s objective of carbon neutrality.
Environmental impact assessment of seawater heat recovery project started
Helen has carried out a feasibility study on various alternatives of utilising seawater as a source of heat for industrial-scale heat pumps in Helsinki. The project progressed to the environmental impact assessment stage. In June, a public presentation meeting on the project was held as a webinar.
Helsinki decided to close the Hanasaari power plant almost two years ahead of schedule
The Hanasaari coal-fired power plant will cease operations by 1 April 2023. The decision has a significant impact on the carbon footprint of Helsinki and the entire country.
Helen invested in its largest electricity storage facility that helps to safeguard the entire Nordic energy system
Helen invested in an electricity storage facility to be built in connection with the Lakiakangas 3 wind farm. The output of the facility will be 5 MW and its energy capacity 10 MW. Corresponding to about 200 electric vehicle batteries, the storage facility will be only the second one to be located in connection with a wind farm, and in terms of its energy capacity it is among the largest in the country. The electricity storage facility is scheduled to start operations at the end of next year.
Construction of geothermal heating plant started in Ruskeasuo
The drilling of Helsinki's first medium-depth geothermal well started in Ruskeasuo at the beginning of September. The Ruskeasuo geothermal plant serves as Helen's pilot site, where drilling technology and other technical solutions for new geothermal sites are tested and developed.
Helen and Horisont Energi entered cooperation for carbon capture, utilisation and storage
Helen and the Norwegian clean energy company Horisont Energi signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the areas of hydrogen economy and carbon storage. The companies are jointly exploring the capture of carbon dioxide from power plant flue gases and the utilisation, logistics and storage of the recovered carbon dioxide.
Helen decided to phase out coal more than five years ahead of schedule
Helen is accelerating the transition to carbon neutral energy production by closing the coal-fired Salmisaari power plant in Helsinki by 1 April 2024 at the latest. Therefore, the company will phase out coal more than five years ahead of schedule.
Fortum and Helen joined forces in building wind power in Ostrobothnia
Fortum and Helen invested together in wind power. Two wind farms, Pjelax-Böle and Kristinestad Norr, will be built in the vicinity of Närpiö and Kristiinankaupunki. The project will triple Helen’s wind power production and, after the investment, Helen will produce up to one terawatt-hour of wind power per year. This amount corresponds to a quarter of electricity consumption in Helsinki.
