Society is electrifying at a rapid pace, and the hydrogen economy, for example, is predicted to revolutionise the energy market. In Joensuu and elsewhere in Eastern Finland, the need to increase the capacity of the transmission and distribution networks has been known for a long time.
Future investments in power generation will require a much larger capacity to transmit electricity from Eastern Finland to the rest of the country. The province is therefore looking forward to the network development promised by the government in the autumn 2024 budget session.
In his opening speech at the Eastern Finland Energy Forum held in early October, Markus Hirvonen, the Regional Mayor of North Karelia, stated that Eastern Finland needs solutions to energy issues in order to return to the path of success.
–We need to ensure that energy availability, purity and price are right across Finland. The future of the world will ultimately be formulated around energy, Hirvonen reminds.
Sustainable energy production to Joensuu
A hydrogen plant is currently being planned for Iiksenniity in Joensuu, with production scheduled to start in 2027. The investment of over 100 million euros is one of the largest energy sector investments in North Karelia this millennium. The planned location of the hydrogen plant is south of the Kontiosuo landfill, about 400 meters from the nearest residential area.
Savon Voima’s district heating plant and Joensuu Biocoal Oy’s biocoal plant, which is under construction, are located in the vicinity of the plant, making the area a true hub for sustainable energy production.
Without hydrogen, we will not be able to mitigate climate change.
Joensuu’s Mayor, Jere Penttilä, states that the hydrogen plant project is extremely important for the city.
– Investments in sustainable energy production bring jobs and vitality to Joensuu. Through hydrogen production, we can secure the supply of green energy and also ensure that investments can be made also in the future, he says.
Herkko Plit, Managing Director of P2X Solutions, which is designing the hydrogen plant, says that the hydrogen plant will employ around 1,000 people during construction, and most of the construction work is expected to be carried out by the province’s own companies.
–Once production starts, the power plant will directly employ about 10 people and indirectly several dozen, Plit says.
Hydrogen is future
What exactly does the hydrogen plant produce, and what is the significance of hydrogen as a future energy source?
–The hydrogen plant produces green hydrogen, which requires electricity generated from renewable energy and water for its production process. Hydrogen and oxygen molecules are separated from water using electricity. When hydrogen is combined with carbon dioxide, synthetic methanol is produced, which is suitable for marine and aviation fuel, among other things, explains Plit.
Hydrogen is already used in industry today, and in the future it could be used as a fuel for buses and trucks, for example. By 2050, for example, 80 percent of the energy used by maritime transport will have to be emission-free, so hydrogen and its downstream products will also meet this requirement.
–Without hydrogen, we will not be able to mitigate climate change, says Plit.
The carbon dioxide produced at Savon Voima’s heating plant has so far been released into the air, but in the future some of it will be captured and combined with hydrogen molecules at the hydrogen plant.
–If we produce our own fuel with electricity in the future, we will also be able to determine the price level of energy and will not be so dependent on the world oil market and its price fluctuations, Plit reminds.
The carbon dioxide needed for fuel production comes from nearby for the Joensuu hydrogen plant. The carbon dioxide generated at the Savon Voima heating plant has so far been released into the air, but in the future, part of it will be captured and combined with hydrogen molecules at the hydrogen plant.
Inter-plant exchanges also take place when the heat energy generated in the hydrogen production process is fed directly into the Joensuu district heating network. This can cover up to 20% of Joensuu’s district heating demand.
The building permit application for P2X Solutions’ hydrogen plant is under review, and a decision is expected to be made soon. After this, the project will proceed to environmental permit processing and the actual construction phase. Before commissioning, the plant will still need an operating licence from TUKES.
Artificial intelligence has been used in the translation of the article.
