Helen's first heating season without coal brings new heat production facilities into use

Helen ended coal-based energy production in the spring, which will halve the company’s annual carbon dioxide emissions and reduce the City of Helsinki’s emissions by about 30 percent compared to 2024. On a national scale, emissions will drop by nearly two percent.

“With the end of coal use, our energy production has changed significantly. Especially the electrification of heat production and the shift to biomass have greatly cleaned up our production, and we are making good progress with our emission reductions,” says Juhani Aaltonen, who is responsible for Helen’s clean transition investments.

Helen has already replaced its coal-based production, for example, by commissioning the Vuosaari bioheat plant, Salmisaari pellet plants and the Hanasaari electric boiler plant. In addition, the company has invested in heat recovery by expanding both the Katri Vala heat pump plant and the data centre cooperation in Pitäjänmäki. During the upcoming heating season, the company will commission new heat production facilities once again.

“The Salmisaari electric boiler plant, which started commercial production last spring, will be in operation for its first full heating season, and during the heating season we will also bring the Salmisaari and Eiranranta heat pump plants into commercial use. There will be plenty of heat in Helsinki. Thanks to our renewed capacity, we can also better adjust according to demand, which brings savings in both costs and energy use,” says Aaltonen.