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Helsinki-based energy company Helen has unveiled plans to build a large-scale district heating complex. Germanys MAN Energy Solutions will supply a 33 MW air-to-water heat pump, the largest ever used in a district heating plant, using ambient air and renewable electricity to generate heat.
Energy company Helen is building a large-scale thermal power plant complex in Patola, a district of 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 tonnes per year. Construction will begin later this year, with a planned production start date for 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 operate at outside temperatures down to -20°C,” says Juhani Aaltonen, Helen’s vice president of green investments. “In addition, the plant is likely to create price stability for customers, as its output is easily adjustable.”
German manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions has been commissioned to supply a 33 MW air-to-water heat pump, the worlds largest ever used for a district heating plant. It will operate with a capacity of between 20 MW and 33 MW, depending on the air temperature, and will supply heat to around 30,000 households in Helsinki.
The company’s heat pump solution uses ambient air as a source of thermal energy to increase water temperature and meet the requirements of the district heating network. The company says the system’s cycle uses carbon dioxide, a toxicologically and environmentally safe refrigerant, allowing it to supply heat at temperatures of up to 90°C. The solution also enables rapid balancing of power from the electrical grid.
MAN Energy Solutions adds that the heart of the system is a hermetic, oil-free HOFIM motor compressor. “The compressor unit uses a high-speed motor and active magnetic bearings, allowing it to operate without the need for a dry gas sealing system or the complete oil system,” the company says.
Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions, said heat pump technology offers “an economically competitive and efficient way to harness climate-neutral heat from ambient air… urban district heating projects using climate-neutral technologies are essential to advancing global carbon reduction efforts.”
Finlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has granted an energy subsidy for the plant. The facility is expected to contribute to Helsinkis goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. |
