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https://reneweconomy.com.au/helsinki-shutters-its-last-coal-plant-as-turns-to-heat-batteries-and-pumps/>
"Finnish energy company Helen Oy has shuttered its last coal-fired power plant,
a milestone which ends coal use in the capital Helsinki and puts Finland on the
brink of eliminating coal entirely from its energy mix.
Helen Oy said this week it has shut down its 177MW Salmisaari coal-fired power
and heat plant in Helsinki thanks in large part to the company’s investments in
carbon-neutral power generation, including heat batteries and heat pumps.
Coal has been a major part of Finland’s energy mix, accounting for 64 per cent
of the district heating requirements in the capital as recently as 2022,
although it had been largely eliminated as a contributor to the electricity
grid.
The transition from coal has been supercharged after Finland passed a law in
2019 banning the use of coal as a fuel for either electricity or heat
production, which would come into effect on May 1, 2029.
That prompted the closure of the Hanasaari coal plant and now the Salmisaari
coal plant in just two years, slashing the city’s emissions by 43 per cent.
“Energy production is no longer be based on fossil fuels in Helsinki,” the
company says. “Helen’s investments in carbon-neutral production, such as
Europe’s largest electric boiler plant and the world’s largest heat pump, have
enabled Helen to move away from coal completely.
“Going forward, the Finnish capital will transition into electrified energy
production based on heat pumps utilising waste and environmental heat, electric
boilers, energy storage and sustainably produced bioenergy. Helen produces
electricity mainly from wind, nuclear, hydro and solar power.
The facilities include Europe’s largest electric boiler plant, a 200MW electric
boiler plant with heat batteries boasting a combined capacity of 1,000MWh, and
the world’s largest heat pump, a 33MW air-to-water heat pump that will be used
for a district-heating plant.
Both projects are expected to be operational and able to begin production
during the heating season of 2026-27.
Lest anyone imagine that consumers in Finland are paying the price for the
country’s energy transition, Helen was quick to point out that it has already
reduced its customer prices for district heating twice since May 2024."
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*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
