Ovako Imatra: Mill Properties Transition to Fossil-Free District Heating
For Ovako’s Imatra mill, the transition to fossil-free district heating will bring significant cost savings and reduce the mill's carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 1,600 tons per year.
The buildings outside Ovako Imatra’s industrial area, such as the head office, were connected to district heating in 2023, and now Imatran Lämpö Oy is expanding its distribution network to include the industrial area as well. Imatran Lämpö is the local producer and supplier of district heating.
Previously, the buildings in the mill’s industrial area were heated with steam, which required about 8 gigawatt hours (GWh) of natural gas annually. Going forward, the need for district heating will be roughly half of that.
“This is partly due to the fact that our previous steam-based system was much less efficient. Steam production resulted in a lot of waste heat, whereas the district heating system is more energy-efficient and better aligned with the heating needs of the properties,” explains Ovako Imatra’s Environmental Manager, Anssi Puruskainen.
The use of steam at Imatra mill was significantly reduced in 2019, when a mechanical vacuum pump system was installed. This system replaced a steam ejector-based solution, improving the energy efficiency of the vacuum generation by approximately 80%. Now, the use of steam can be completely phased out.
The transition to renewable district heating is an important step for the Imatra mill in achieving the climate targets set by the Ovako Group. The emissions at the Imatra mill have already been halved compared to 2015, and the target is to reduce them by 80% by 2030.
“This change also supports our long-term commitment to improving energy efficiency. The previous investment in the mechanical vacuum pump system was a significant turning point, and now the new district heating system complements this development and further strengthens our position as a leader in sustainable industry,” says Puruskainen.
The construction of the new distribution line is underway and is expected to be completed in early 2025. Imatran Lämpö Oy is responsible for building the distribution pipeline outside the industrial area and will also install backup gas and pellet facilities, including fuel silos, on Ovako’s premises. Ovako will oversee the construction of the district heating line within the industrial area.
"We are extremely pleased that our heating services for Ovako are expanding. For Imatran Lämpö and its owner, the City of Imatra, local industrial operators are key partners," says Vesa-Pekka Vainikka, CEO of Imatran Lämpö Oy.
For more information, please contact
Ovako Imatra
Communication Manager Satu Tähkä, satu.tahka@ovako.com, p. +358 40 555 6171
Imatran Lämpö Oy
Production Manager Turo Valkama, turo.valkama@imatra.fi, p. +358 20 617 4805
CEO Vesa-Pekka Vainikka, vesa-pekka.vainikka@imatra.fi, p. +358 20 617 4800
