Helsinki’s energy choice: biofuel plant or nuclear power

Debate over ways to achieve greenhouse gas emission cuts

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Politicians in Helsinki will have to decide in the autumn how the city could produce its energy in a more environmentally friendly manner than before.
      The two options that are seen as realistic are the construction of a power plant which would burn biological fuel, or participation in the construction of a new nuclear reactor.
      In the nuclear option, cooling water used by the reactor would be piped to Helsinki for district heat. A biomass power plant would require massive amounts of fuel: 80 lorry-loads of wood chips would be needed every day.
     
Helsinki City Council decided last year that by 2020, Helsinki will have sharply reduced the carbon dioxide emissions of its production of electricity and district heat. At the same time, the city wants to sharply increase its use of renewable energy sources.
      In the background is an agreement between the three largest political groups on the Helsinki City Council - the Social Democrats, the Greens, and the National Coalition Party. However, this coalition is not expected to be quite as united when the details of the agreement are discussed in the autumn.
     
The calls for lower emissions focus on the city’s big money maker, the electric utility Helsinki Energy. If the city were to lose the revenue that Helsinki Energy brings into the city’s coffers, it would have to increase the municipal tax rate by about three percentage points.
      During the summer, the city is to assess the implications of the various options for the finances of Helsinki Energy.
      The Greens and the SDP insist that the goals that have been set must be kept, even if it were to mean a decline in income for the electric utility. The National Coalition Party feels that the emission goals should be examined as a whole.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Helsinki decision-makers debate energy issues at Sanoma House (21.1.2008)
  Power company Helsinki Energy to set up two offshore wind parks (10.11.2008)
  Energy companies put forward ambitious offshore wind power plans (18.6.2008)

Helsingin Sanomat