Environmental impact assessment of the Tattarisuo bioenergy heating plant has been launched

Distributed heat production is needed in different areas of Helsinki in order to safeguard heat supply that is as undisturbed as possible for our customers in all parts of the city. The current plans for exploring various alternatives include areas in Vuosaari, Patola and Tattarisuo.

The new bioenergy heating plants will replace coal use and ensure sufficient district heat supplies. The new bioenergy heating plants will not be built all at the same time, but their implementation will be carried out in phases so that the first of the heating plants to be implemented will be in production use by 2024 at the latest.

Renewable district heat from wood chips

A wood chip heating plant with a district heat output of 130 MW is being planned for Tattarisuo. The plant would be slightly larger than Helen’s recently completed Salmisaari pellet-fired heating plant. In addition to wood chips, we are exploring the possibility of utilising recycled fuels, such as fuel produced from fractions containing clean plastics, wood and cardboard, as well as demolition wood.

Tattarisuo is an excellent location for a heating plant as there are a lot of district heating customers in North Helsinki, but for the time being there is only little energy production. There are also plans to build more residential housing in the area. Heating for the city centre can also be secured from the district due to its good distribution connections.

Public meeting in March

The environmental impact assessment of the Tattarisuo bioenergy heating plant has been launched. The assessment aims to promote the observance of environmental impacts already in the planning stage and to increase the provision of information to citizens and their opportunities to participate in the planning of the project. The environmental impact assessment will generate information for the purpose of decision-making and the licensing process concerning the project.

The environmental impact assessment report on the Tattarisuo bioenergy heating plant will be completed in late summer 2018.

The project presentation will be held on Tuesday, 13 March 2018 at the Puistola Comprehensive School (Koudantie 2) at 18.00 – 20.00.The presentation is open for everyone and no advance registration is needed. 

Coal replaced with biofuels

Helen is making significant investments in renewable energy and in replacing coal: in 2017 these investments amounted to EUR 30 million. A new wood pellet heating plant was completed in Salmisaari this year. The plant can produce heat for 25,000 one-bedroom apartments or a town the size of Savonlinna. Surplus heat will also be recovered to an increasing degree when the new Esplanade heating and cooling plant will be commissioned in spring 2018. The amount of surplus heat recovered with the new heat pumps is 15 MW.

Facts:

• Helen is planning three new bioenergy heating plants in Helsinki.
• In addition to Tattarisuo, areas in Vuosaari and Patola are also considered. Various location alternatives are still being explored.
• Bioenergy heating plants will be built in stages to be able to replace the heat production of the Hanasaari power plant, which will be decommissioned in 2024 according to plan. By that time, one or two new heating plants will be needed.
• In terms of Tattarisuo, the area’s suitability for heat production is still in its investigation stage, and other alternatives are also examined at the same time.
• A wood chip heating plant has been planned for Tattarisuo.
• In addition to wood chips, we are exploring the possibility of utilising recovered fuels, such as fuel produced from fractions containing clean plastics, wood and cardboard, as well as demolition wood.
• The recovered fuels that may be used do not include household biowaste or biowaste of animal origin.