Fortum’s biofuel-fired CHP plant inaugurated in Järvenpää
PRESS RELEASE 14 June 2013
Fortum’s new biofuel-fired plant has been commissioned in Järvenpää, Finland. The plant utilises biofuels to produce district heat for about 34,000 residents in Tuusula and Järvenpää as well as electricity for the national grid. The plant’s annual production is about 280 gigawatt-hours of heat and about 130 gigawatt-hours of electricity. The amount of heat production is equivalent to the annual heat consumption of about 31,000 average-sized Finnish households.
Minister of Economic Affairs Jan Vapaavuori and Fortum’s Chief Financial Officer Markus Rauramo inaugurated the biofuel-fired CHP plant on Friday, June 14th, in Järvenpää.
“One of the cornerstones of Fortum’s strategy is strong competence in combined heat and power (CHP) production. CHP production is a very energy efficient and low-emissions production form. Moreover, Fortum uses the most biomass for energy production in the Baltic Region. That is another reason why the Järvenpää CHP plant project aligns well with Fortum’s strategy. At the same time, the plant supports Finland’s emissions reduction targets and increases the use of renewable energy,” Fortum’s Chief Financial Officer Markus Rauramo noted in the inauguration speech.
Normally, the plant uses only biofuel, mainly forest residues and forest industry by-products, like sawdust and bark. If needed, the plant can also be fuelled with peat and natural gas.
Every weekday, some 35 truckloads of biofuel are transported to the Järvenpää plant. The fuel is locally sourced from an approximately 100-kilometer radius from the plant. Acquiring, handling and transporting the fuel provides employment for about 80 people.
Fortum invested about 80 million euros in the Järvenpää biofuel-fired plant. During the past three years, Fortum has invested close to 300 million euros in low-emissions energy production in the Helsinki metropolitan area. These eco-friendly plant investments significantly decrease carbon dioxide emissions in the region. Emissions from heat production will decrease by about 70% in the region as a result of the investment.
Fortum Corporation
Corporate Communications
Additional information:
Jouni Haikarainen, Vice President, Fortum Heat Division, Finland, tel. +358 40 709 5690
Fortum media phone: +358 40 198 2843
Fortum
Fortum’s purpose is to create energy that improves life for present and future generations. We provide sustainable solutions that fulfil the needs for low emissions, resource efficiency and energy security, and deliver excellent value to our shareholders. Our activities cover the generation, distribution and sales of electricity and heat as well as related expert services.
Fortum’s operations focus on the Nordic countries, Russia, Poland and the Baltics. In the future, the integrating European and fast-growing Asian energy markets provide additional growth opportunities. In 2012, Fortum’s sales totalled EUR 6.2 billion and comparable operating profit was EUR 1.7 billion. We employ approximately 10,400 people. Fortum’s shares are quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki.
Additional information: www.fortum.com/fi