IN 2022, THE NUMBER OF IMATRAN LÄMPÖ OY’S DISTRICT HEATING CUSTOMERS INCREASED MORE THAN IN THE THREE PREVIOUS YEARS COMBINED. THE REASON FOR THE RAPID GROWTH CAN BE FOUND BEHIND THE BORDER: RUSSIA’S WAR OF AGGRESSION IN UKRAINE HAS PROMPTED BOTH COMPANIES AND CONSUMERS TO SEEK ALTERNATIVES TO REPLACE NATURAL GAS AND OIL AS HEAT SOURCES. AS A RESULT OF THE HEATING METHOD CHANGES, CUSTOMERS’ CO2 EMISSIONS HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED.
Imatran Lämpö is a local heating company that produces and delivers district heating and distributes gas in the city of Imatra. The district heating network covers a major part of the region’s large commercial buildings and approximately 50% of the local households.
In 2022, the number of Imatran Lämpö’s district heating customers increased by 47. Of these, 34 were existing customers who switched from natural gas to district heating. The number of new customers who joined the district heating network was 13. For comparison, 12 properties joined the district heating network in 2021.
– The combined annual emission reduction from investments in new connections in 2022 is about 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, says Vesa-Pekka Vainikka, CEO of Imatran Lämpö.
Imatran Lämpö produces district heating using biofuels, such as by-products of forest management and the forest industry. The gas used by the company's reserve and peak-load plants is also biogas, which means that all the heat produced is completely carbon neutral.
Less is more
The changes in the heating method have not only cut customers’ emissions but also improved their energy efficiency. For example, the energy consumption of customers who switched from oil to district heating was previously about 150 megawatt-hours (MWh) per year. In contrast, their district heating consumption is about 120 MWh per year. The emissions are 40 tonnes lower than when heating with oil.
– When heat is produced in a large boiler, the fuel used can be utilised more efficiently thanks to a flue gas scrubber, for example. The size of the boiler is also important. A flue gas scrubber alone improves efficiency by more than 10%, says Turo Valkama, Production Manager.
The energy consumption of customers who switched from natural gas to district heating was previously about 5,880 MWh per year. Their district heating consumption is now about 4,960 MWh. The emission reduction caused by the change is 1,170 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
In addition to individual district heating connections, Imatran Lämpö built four new local district heating systems during 2022. The pellet-fired local district heating systems reduce the use of natural gas.
In total, nine buildings have been connected to the new local district heating systems, most of them blocks of flats. According to Vainikka, the combined annual emission reduction from the local district heating systems is 790 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Utilising waste heat
Due to the dramatically changed geopolitical situation, Imatran Lämpö has been actively looking for new ways to produce district heating. Vital for security of supplyand socially responsible, the company bears responsibility for supplying heat to city residents, companies and communities even during an energy crisis.
– The importance of delivery reliability and security of supply has been emphasised recently. A competitive price level is at least equally important – it’s the cornerstone of the company’s strategy and operations now and in the future. The company still has a great need for predictable, stable and competitive customer pricing, Vainikka says.
Imatran Lämpö mainly produces district heating at three bioenergy heating plants for three different district heating networks: the Immola and Rajapatsas plants produce heat for smaller networks, while the Virasoja heating plant produces heat for the city’s largest district heating network.
Due to the increased demand for district heating and the security of supply, energy production must be further decentralised,” Vainikka points out.
– In addition to the current district heating based on forest energy, the company is investigating opportunities like utilising the waste heat generated in industry for district heating.
In 2022, Imatran Lämpö began cooperation with the energy company Fortum, and waste heat from the Imatra hydropower plant is now being utilised in the Imatra district heating network. This is the first time in Finland that waste heat from a hydropower generator is being used to heat a city.
The heat pump plant built for the hydropower plant will produce district heating for the Rajapatsas district heating network at a rate of approximately 6.5 GWh per year, replacing some of the district heating produced with wood chips. Approximately one-third of the heat requirement of the Rajapatsas network can be produced by heat pumps.
– In the summer, the biomass boiler of the Rajapatsas heating plant can be stopped completely and all the heat needed by the network can be produced by heat pumps. In other words, waste heat recovery is reducing the need for fuels in district heating production, Valkama says.
– Fortum’s heat pump plant is a great move forward. We are currently negotiating and investigating new waste heat opportunities with local industrial operators, Vainikka adds.
For more information, please contact:
Imatran Lämpö Oy
Vesa-Pekka Vainikka, vesa-pekka.vainikka@imatra.fi , tel. +358 40 580 8556
