Two-way district heating

Fortum was the first in Finland to open two-way district heating network for all clean energy producers. By utilising waste heat we can together make the Finnish energy system more sustainable, more efficient and cleaner.

Fortum Two-way district heating 2019

More thermal energy without increasing production

Companies as well commercial and residential buildings can generate a lot of excess heat, for instance in conjunction with the cooling of indoor air. This excess heat is waste heat, which we at Fortum want to harness for use rather than having it released into the air. 

By selling the excess heat or other clean energy to Fortum, commercial and residential buildings or companies can go from energy consumers to thermal energy producers. “We are now expanding our operations and are ready to buy heat from different players, such as offices, housing companies and industry. Climate change can be best mitigated through collaboration among the different players,” says Mikael Lemström, Vice President, Heating and Cooling, Fortum.

“We have previously engaged in collaboration with data centres and hospitals, for example. Now we want to encourage more players – from stores and offices to shopping centers and housing companies – to join in the production of more sustainable and cleaner energy,” Lemström continues.

By utilising waste heat we can reduce energy production. We can conserve the use of other energy forms and, at the same time, build a cleaner world. In fact, our goal is to produce all district heating in Finland cleanly in the 2020s.

Towards a more sustainable energy system

If excess heat is generated, it can be recovered and utilised by transferring the waste heat to Fortum’s two-way district heating network. After the amount of heat to be transferred and the time and location have been reviewed together with the seller of the waste heat, Fortum prepares the heating pipeline and the meters for the transfer of heat and then connects the production into the district heating network. The building or company selling the heat is responsible for the investment in the heat production equipment and for the connecting expenses. Our existing district heat customers already have a connection to the district heating network.

In Finland,  about 16% of the Espoo area’s heat production comes from waste heat, but our goal is to increase the amount to over 30% by 2022. It has been possible to connect to the two-way district heating network already for some time, but the purchase prices for heat are now announced on our web site. Fortum’s district heating networks are located in Espoo, Kauniainen and Kirkkonummi, and it is possible to sell waste heat in all of these areas.

Join us in building an increasingly more efficient, more environmentally friendly, and smarter energy system.

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