Helen proceeds towards non-combustion by launching a nuclear energy programme
Helen Ltd has set a target to build a small nuclear power plant for heat production of Helsinki city. The company has launched a nuclear energy programme, and in its first phase Helen will negotiate with potential partner shareholders, evaluate plant suppliers and determine potential plant sites. The first phase of the programme is due to be completed in 2026.
Helen’s decision to start exploring the potential of nuclear energy stems from the company’s goal of non-combustion in energy production during the 2030s. Achieving this requires a steady, reliable and electricity-independent heat source that can be located near the district heating network. Helen’s nuclear energy programme evaluates small modular reactors (SMRs) based on proven solutions, which can be used to produce only heat or both electricity and heat.
“Our goal of non-combustion requires determined measures to harness all clean forms of production as part of our energy system. We have therefore decided to proceed with the nuclear energy programme systematically and as quickly as possible, realising that this is a multi-year project. Eventually, if everything falls into place, we will have our first SMR providing heat for Helsinki no later than in the early 2030s,” says Helen’s CEO Olli Sirkka.
With climate change and the energy crisis, Helen’s operating environment has undergone a major transformation in recent years. However, this has not forced Helen to compromise on its carbon neutrality or non-combustion targets.
“In the midst of all this uncertainty, we have never had any doubt about the need to mitigate the climate change. In practice, this means including all clean forms of production in our energy palette. It is good to acknowledge, however, that everything is not in our own hands and that the transition requires accomplishments also from decision-makers and technology developers. I am expecting the ongoing reforms of the Nuclear Energy Act and official regulations to pave the way for the incorporation of nuclear power into Helsinki’s heat production,” Sirkka says.