Helsinki’s climate goal is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Abolishing fossil fuels in energy production is a significant part of achieving this goal. The first really major step into the green transition was taken two years ago when the Hanasaari B power plant ceased its operations. Now, the City’s last coal power plant, i.e., the Salmisaari plant, is also becoming a piece of history.
“Helsinki is now making rapid progress towards the achievement of its climate goals. It is worth noting that Helen Ltd abolished coal burning in Salmisaari four years before being required by the coal prohibition entering into force in 2029. From the perspective of the City of Helsinki, this is very gratifying. Coal burning is not a sustainable way to produce energy,” comments Mayor of Helsinki Juhana Vartiainen.
In other words, Helsinki will no longer be heated with coal. The City’s energy production will no longer be based on fossil fuels. Going forward, the City will transition into electrified energy production based on heat pumps utilising waste and environmental heat, electric boilers, energy storage and sustainably produced bioenergy.
“With regard to the City’s direct climate emissions, we have made particularly good progress towards our goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 in terms of heating and electricity consumption. Shutting down the operations of the Salmisaari coal power plant is a really important step and a much-needed major deed. However, our determined work towards emissions reductions will not stop here, as our objective is to be net zero by 2040, and from there on we will strive towards carbon negativity,” points out Deputy Mayor Anni Sinnemäki.
The end of the operations of the Salmisaari coal power plant has a significant impact on Helsinki’s carbon dioxide emissions. The closing of the plant will reduce the City of Helsinki’s emissions by 30 per cent. The abolishment of coal has happened quickly in Helsinki, as in 2022, coal still covered 64 per cent of Helen’s district heat production. In summary, Helsinki has closed both the Hanasaari and Salmisaari coal power plants within two years, which will reduce the city’s CO2 emissions by a whopping 43 per cent. At the national level, the closing of the power plants in Helsinki will reduce the total carbon dioxide emissions of Finland by five per cent.
