Finnish energy provider KSS Energia and Calefa have agreed on the turnkey delivery of a 4 MW AmbiHeat heat pump plant. Utilizing excess heat from wastewater, the AmbiHeat facility will reduce CO2 emissions of heat production by 14,000 tons per year while also increasing the company’s capacity on the electricity markets.
AmbiHeat Plant: A Major Step in KSS Energia’s Carbon Neutrality Roadmap
KSS Energia aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. The electrification of heat production plays a crucial role in this roadmap.
The warm water from the Mäkikylä wastewater treatment plant in Kouvola, Finland, offers an excellent but previously untapped resource for heat production. With the help of six heat pumps, the new AmbiHeat heat pump facility will harness wastewater heat while significantly reducing the thermal load of treated water discharged into the Kymi River.
“Wastewater provides a steady year-round flow, and this solution significantly lowers CO2 emissions of our heat production,” says Mikko Lampinen, CEO of KSS Lämpö, subsidiary to KSS Energia.
Petri Vuori, CEO of Calefa, provider of AmbiHeat heat pump plants, is seeing a growing demand for heat recovery solutions for wastewater treatment plants.
“There is a great potential for heat recovery in municipal wastewater treatment. We are glad to be able to answer the demand”, Vuori comments.
4 MW Heat Pump Facility to Enter the Electricity Market in the Future
For a company that supplies both electricity and heat, the electrification of heat production is a natural progression. The heat pump solution utilizing wastewater heat aligns well with KSS Energia’s overall production profile.
“Heat can be produced from wastewater throughout the year. The heat pump facility will especially cover district heating demand in the summer when the company’s CHP power plants are out of operation,” Lampinen explains.
Electrified heat production also enables stronger sector integration between electricity and heat production for KSS Energia. In the future, electric heat production resources—such as the AmbiHeat heat pump plant and a planned electric boiler—could be used as part of the electricity market.
“The idea is that the heat pump plant could also participate in the electricity market in the future, further increasing its profitability,” Lampinen illustrates.
Joint Project of Water and Energy Companies Accelerates Regional Green Transition
The heat pump facility built adjacent to the Mäkikylä wastewater treatment plant will significantly reduce KSS Lämpö’s CO2 emissions.
The new AmbiHeat heat pump plant will replace part of the CHP plants’ production while also reducing the use of gas-powered backup plants during summer.
The facility’s 14,000-ton CO2 emission reduction corresponds to the annual carbon footprint of over 1,800 Finns. KSS Lämpö has received investment support from the national Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) to implement this crucial component of its carbon neutrality roadmap.
According to Lampinen, this project is significant not only for the heat and energy company but also for the local water treatment company Kouvolan Vesi, which owns the wastewater treatment plant.
“This collaboration with Kouvolan Vesi benefits the entire region. Together, we can enhance the cost-efficiency of heat production while reducing both the environmental impact of heat production and treated wastewater,” Lampinen summarizes.
AmbiHeat Plant at Mäkikylä Wastewater Treatment Plant
- The facility produces up to 90-degree Celsius district heating water from treated wastewater ranging from 5–16 degrees Celsius, supplying KSS Lämpö’s district heating network.
- The AmbiHeat plant consists of three modules, six heat pumps, and components for heat recovery.
- Located at the Mäkikylä wastewater treatment plant, the facility is connected to KSS Lämpö’s district heating network via a 1.7-kilometer pipeline.
- KSS Energia utilizes the AmbiHeat heat pump plant to cover both base and peak power demands in the district heating network. It also plans to participate in the electricity market with the facility in the future.
- The plant reduces KSS Energia’s CO2 emissions by 14,000 tons and decreases the thermal load of treated wastewater discharged into the Kymi River.
