Promotion of circular economy

Promotion of circular economy

Vantaa Energy is a circular economy energy company. For Vantaa Energy, circular economy means keeping materials in circulation for as long as possible or turn them into another form. In practice this means, for example, storage and utilisation of waste heat, and energy utilisation of raw materials that are not suitable for recycling. Circular economy also means using green hydrogen to process carbon dioxide for reuse into permanent products that bind carbon dioxide into materials.

Our aim is to end the use of fossil fuels by 2026. After that, we will continue progressing towards carbon negativity in 2030 through four main projects. Vantaa Energy’s plans include the starting up of a plant manufacturing carbon-dioxide-free biogas in 2026, carbon capture as raw materials in 2027, investment in a recycled bio coal plant in 2027, and the processing of carbon dioxide into completely new products in 2029.

We expand the waste processing service to utilise non-recyclable fractions from recycling plants in 2022

We are currently building an extension to the waste-to-energy plant to utilise waste from retail and industry that is sorted by recycling plants, such as non-recyclable cardboard and plastic. The construction work has progressed to plan, and the plant is scheduled for commissioning in autumn 2022.

In the future, we will further increase the utilisation of non-recyclable waste in material utilisation at the impregnated wood biopower plant planned for Martinlaakso and in the high temperature waste treatment plant to be located in connection with the Vantaa waste-to-energy plant. We aim to make the investment decisions on both plants in 2022.

We aim to draw up new contracts each year, utilising the waste heat of the cooling processes of our customers with service concepts that promote the overall efficiency of the energy system.

The processes of local enterprises and industry produce waste heat as a by-product. Vantaa Energy aims to utilise, for example, surplus heat produced by data centres in Vantaa in its open district heating network as an additional energy source. Vantaa Energy has signed a contract on the delivery of waste heat with one customer. In 2021, we launched negotiations on the utilisation of waste heat from data centres planned for the area.

In the future, it will be possible to store heat from all renewable energy production forms in the seasonal heat storage facility planned for the Kuninkaala district of Vantaa. In time, it will also be possible to store in the facility waste heat bought by Vantaa Energy from its customers.

Aiming for more efficient utilisation of material flows. Vantaa Energy strives to reduce make-up water consumption and process water in district heating. The maximum target for make-up water is 1.5 times the volume of the district heating network.

In 2021, Vantaa Energy and Wärtsilä signed a cooperation agreement on the preliminary planning of a plant producing synthetic methane. Upon implementation, the electric fuel plant scheduled for commissioning in 2025 will be the largest in Finland, as well as the first one producing carbon-neutral, synthetic methane on a commercial scale, with a fuel capacity of 10 megawatts.

From Vantaa Energy’s point of view, efficient use of water in business operations is important. In 2021, the consumption of make-up water in the district heating network was 1.46 times the volume of the network. Make-up water is used especially in energy production processes and as extra water in the district heating network. The volume of make-up water is also a good meter to indicate the condition level of the district heating network in general.

In 2021, Vantaa Energy built a make-up water feeding pipe from the district heating network of Vantaa to the Tuusula network. Make-up water is purified process water. This will reduce the amount of water conducted into to the sewage system of Vantaa Energy and the consumption of tap water in Tuusula.