Helsingin Energia and Vapo agree on Finland's largest pellet deliveries
Helsingin Energia and Vapo have agreed on wood pellet deliveries to the Salmisaari and Hanasaari combined heat and power (CHP) plants. The delivery amounts are significant on the Finnish scale. Pellets are used for replacing imported coal.
– Combustion of pellets mixed with coal with a ratio of 5–7 per cent will start at Helsingin Energia’s Salmisaari power plant at the end of the year, says Unit Manager Janne Rauhamäki of Development of Energy Operations at Helsingin Energia.
At Helsingin Energia’s Hanasaari power plant, pellets will be combusted with the same percentage share once the pellet equipment is ready next year. The mixture ratio of pellets is based on thorough pellet combustion tests carried out at the power plants.
Vapo’s Regional Director Jan-Juhani Laitinen is very happy about the signed agreement:
– This contract is significant. Once the deliveries are in full swing, Helsingin Energia will be our largest fuel customer using pellets. The employment effect of the contract is about 50 person-years throughout the production and delivery chain. Vapo’s production capacity in Finland will be able to meet growing demand.
Increasing the use of pellets at the Hanasaari and Salmisaari power plants is part of Helsingin Energia’s development programme towards a carbon neutral future. Helsingin Energia aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent on the 1990 level and to increase the share of renewable energy to 20 per cent by 2020.
Next year, the Helsinki City Council will decide on the investments pertaining to Helsingin Energia’s development programme. The main alternatives are to increase the share of pellets to 40 per cent at the Hanasaari and Salmisaari power plants or to build a new multifuel power plant at Vuosaari, using wood chips as the main fuel.