Heating and decarbonisation
Heating
Energy production and use play a significant role in achieving Helsinki’s emission reduction goal. The energy efficiency of the city’s own building stock is improved and the amount of renewable energy is increased every time the buildings are renovated, but also through separate energy efficiency renovations.
In the city’s own business premises, district heating will account for 98 per cent of heating in 2024. A small percentage of the buildings are still heated by oil or electricity, but in these properties, heating modes are constantly being upgraded to lower-emission options. The share of heat pumps is also increasing.
In new construction and renovation projects, the profitability of geothermal and air-to-water heat pumps is always assessed. A heat pump is always chosen as the main heating system if it is technically possible and economically viable. A heat pump system is selected in almost all new construction projects, and in renovations, the share is somewhat lower due to the limitations of existing buildings and their plots.
Decarbonisation
Coal combustion has ended in Helsinki (in Hanasaari on 1 April 2023 and in Salmisaari on 1 April 2025). With the closure of the Salmisaari coal-fired power plant, Helen’s estimated emission reduction this year is already over 80 percent of the 1990 level.
In the future, Helsinki will be heated with distributed energy production, where heat is collected from several different sources: the ground, air and water. Helen Oy aims for ambitious emission reductions by 2030 and the cessation of combustion by 2040.
Helsinki will switch from a system based on fossil fuels to electrified heat production, with waste and environmental heat, electric boilers and sustainably produced bioenergy at its core. The homes and properties in Helsinki are heated by, for example, the Katri Vala heat pump plant, which produces renewable district heating and cooling from purified wastewater. In addition, the peak demand for district heat is balanced out by promoting smart heat management in properties.