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Helen, a Helsinki-based energy company, has unveiled plans for a large-scale district heating plant complex. Germany’s MAN Energy Solutions is supplying a 33 MW air-to-water heat pump, the largest ever used for a district-heating plant, with ambient air and renewable electricity for heat generation.
Energy company Helen is building a large-scale heating plant complex in Patola, a neighborhood in Helsinki, Finland.
The site will feature an industrial-scale heat pump and two 50 MW electric boilers. Once operational, it is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 56,000 tons per year. Construction will begin at the end of this year, with a production start date scheduled during the 2026-27 heating season.
“The air-to-water heat pump plant to be built will be the first of its size in the world, and one of its significant advantages is that it can be operated in outdoor temperatures as low as -20 C,” says Juhani Aaltonen, VP of green investments at Helen. “In addition, the plant is likely to create price stability for customers, as its production is easily adjustable.”
German manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions has been commissioned to supply a 33 MW air-to-water heat pump – the world’s largest ever used for a district heating plant. It will operate at a capacity ranging from 20 MW to 33 MW, depending on the air temperature, supplying heat to around 30,000 households in Helsinki.
The company’s heat pump solution uses ambient air as a thermal energy source to increase the water temperature and meet the requirements of the district heating network. It says that toxicologically and environmentally safe carbon dioxide is used as a refrigerant for the system cycle, allowing it to deliver heat at temperatures of up to 90°C. The solution also enables rapid power-balancing of the electrical grid.
MAN Energy Solutions adds the heart of the system is an oil-free, hermetically-sealed HOFIM motor-compressor. “The compression unit utilizes a high-speed motor and active magnetic bearings, enabling it to operate without requiring a dry gas seal system and the complete oil system,” said the company.
Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions, said the heat pump technology provides “an economically competitive and efficient way to harness climate-neutral heat from ambient air … urban district heating projects that utilize climate-neutral technologies are essential for advancing global efforts to reduce carbon emissions.”
Finland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has granted an energy subsidy for the plant. The facility is expected to support Helsinki’s target of becoming carbon-neutral by 2030. |
