Helen prepares for the start of a historic heating season – a record number of new, clean heat production to be deployed
The clean transition is progressing rapidly in Helsinki’s heat production as Helen Ltd prepares to start up its coal-fired power plant for the last time in the coming days. In addition to the end of coal-based production, the upcoming heating season will be characterised by the emergence of new forms of clean production. More than 400 megawatts of new, clean production will be deployed by next summer, which will improve the security of supply of district heating as well as price stability.
In the coming days, Helen is preparing to start the heating season and start up its coal-fired power plant for the last time. At the same time, the company is preparing for the commissioning of new heating plants based on clean production.
By next summer, the company will be commissioning new electric boilers in Hanasaari and Salmisaari, where a new air-to-water heat pump and a pellet conversion of the old coal-powered boiler will also start production.
"We will deploy a significant amount of new, coal-replacing production during the upcoming heating season. In the autumn, this may be reflected in unusual ways as the commissioning of the new pellet boiler during the test period starting in October may exceptionally produce smoke that is darker than usual, even though the production is many times cleaner than the coal burning it is replacing," explains Timo Aaltonen, SVP, Heating and Cooling at Helen.
The new forms of production, more than 400 MW worth of which will be deployed by Helen by the summer, will improve not only the security of supply, but also price stability.
"The most important thing for us is to ensure that Helsinki can be kept warm in any circumstances. The diverse production structure ensures the security of heat supply even in the harshest sub-zero temperatures and protects district heating from fluctuations in energy prices, offering price stability to our customers. Helen is proud to introduce this new production, which will bring us into a new era of even cleaner production," says Aaltonen.
The Salmisaari coal-fired power plant will be decommissioned on 1 April 2025, halving Helen’s annual carbon dioxide emissions caused by district heating production from 2024 to 2025. Helen’s goal is carbon neutral production by 2030 and non-combustion energy production in the 2030s.
