The last coal-fired heat and power plant in Finland that is still in active operation will be permanently shut down on Tuesday.
This was reported by Reuters.
This move will allow the Helsinki energy group Helen to reduce its emissions and put an end to rising electricity prices for its customers, said its CEO.
“Of course, we cannot say that not a single gram of coal will ever be burned in Finland again, as there are various solutions for crisis situations. But this is indeed the last coal-fired power plant in Finland that operates on a daily basis,” said Helen’s CEO, Olli Sirkkä, in an interview with the agency.
To replace the annual production of 175 MW of electricity and 300 MW of heat from the Salmisaari plant, which is shutting down, Helen will use electricity, waste heat, and heat pumps, while continuing to burn pellets and wood chips, the company stated.
“In the long run, we aim to completely abandon combustion,” Sirkkä said.
The closure of the power plant will allow Helen to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 50% compared to last year, while Finland’s overall emissions will decrease by almost 2%, according to the report.
In recent years, Finland has rapidly expanded its capacity for generating electricity and heat from renewable sources such as wind and solar energy. This has led to a sharp decline in coal use after the previous government passed a law in 2019 banning coal use from 2029 onwards.
