Finland shuts last coal-fired power plant at Salmisaari, ending the era of coal

Helsinki utility Helen has shut down its last coal-fired power plant in Salmisaari, ending the era of coal in the country, it said April 1.

The closure of the 160 MWe/300 MWth combined heat and power plant also means increased self-sufficiency in Finnish energy production, it said.

"Giving up coal is a concrete step towards Helen's clean, self-sufficient and affordable energy production," Helen CEO Olli Sirkka said.

Annual CO2 emissions at Helen will decline 50% compared with 2024 and those for Finland's capital Helsinki by around 30%.

The impact on Finland's total CO2 emissions was estimated at around 2%, the statement said.

Helen will further reduce emissions by investing in clean transition solutions aiming for a 95% reduction over 1990 by 2030.

Finland will retain reserve coal capacity for security of supply purposes, which can be deployed if necessary, the statement said.

In addition, some energy companies use small amounts of coal in their energy production for peak, reserve and security of supply reasons.

Finnish law has set a May 1, 2029 deadline to end all use of coal in energy production.

According to Helen, energy production from coal in Finland has plunged from 40 TWh in 2010 to a "marginal level."

E-boiler, wood pellets

The company's investments have already made its production more self-sufficient and cost-efficient, Helen added.

Heat production will mainly consist of heat pumps utilizing waste and environmental heat, electric boilers, energy storage and sustainable bioenergy, while electricity will be generated with wind, nuclear, hydro and solar power, Helen said.

For the Salmisaari CHP, Helen planned a conversion to wood pellets and e-boiler. The company has completed test runs for the new units, which consist of two 100 MW electric boilers and a 153 MW wood pellet plant.

At the Hanasaari energy complex, which also hosted a coal-fired heat and power plant that closed in 2023, Helen will build Europe's largest electric boiler plant, with a capacity of 200 MW, including a thermal battery with 1,000 MWh heat storage capacity.

Platts, a unit of S&P Global Commodity Insights, last assessed EUA carbon allowances (nearest Dec) at Eur67.69/mt on March 31.