Finland’s last coal-fired thermal power plant, the Salmisaari TPP in Helsinki, was shut down on April 1, marking the end of the coal era and increasing the country's self-sufficiency in energy production, Finnish energy company Helen Ltd. reported.
By ending the use of coal, Helen expects to reduce its annual carbon dioxide emissions by 50%, and by about 30% in Helsinki, resulting in a reduction of almost 2% in Finland's total emissions.
To replace the 175 MW of electricity and 300 MW of heat produced by the TPP, Helen plans to use electric boilers and heat pumps and continue to burn pellets and wood chips. The plant has been undergoing modernization since 2015, gradually switching from coal to biofuels made from peat, wood, and agricultural waste.
The closure is in line with Finnish legislation that will ban the use of coal in heat and power generation by May 1, 2029.