Lappeenranta to implement a new type of energy storage

Lappeenranta to implement a new type of energy storage that will replace fossil fuels and bring flexibility to the operation of the grid

The City of Lappeenranta is testing a new type of energy storage system in connection with the Mustola heating plant. In the system, energy is stored in equipment based on the phase transitions of materials. The new, revolutionary technology of the equipment makes energy storage more cost-effective.

The varying volume of production and the fact that demand response is required in the energy system to offset the increase in the share of wind and solar power is a common challenge in the electricity market. Solving the challenge requires storing the energy produced. The City of Lappeenranta is getting ready to try a new kind of heat accumulator that, for its part, would support the solution of the challenge. The testing will involve monitoring the operation of the equipment, finding a suitable operating model for it, calculating the impact on costs and on the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Events on the theme of energy storage will also be organised around the equipment while also presenting the equipment. If the equipment proves to be a functional and cost-effective option, a wide market will open up for it globally.

Elstor Oy, a company based in Lappeenranta, has been developing an energy storage solution that could meet this need in a cost-effective way while also producing heat energy without emissions. The solution can be used to store electric power as heat energy and to release it at desired times for various heat energy needs, says CEO Kari Suninen from Elstor Oy.

• The energy solution is based on materials with a high melting point and changes in their state.

The Vitality and Urban Development Board made a decision on the acquisition of the heat accumulator on 17 April 2019 and the building of the pilot will start in the Mustola industrial area in Lappeenranta in late 2019. The project will be implemented together with Lappeenrannan Energia Oy.

CANEMURE project speeds up climate action in South Karelia

The acquisition is part of the nationwide “Towards Carbon Neutral Municipalities and Regions” (CANEMURE) project funded by the EU LIFE programme. The project is stepping up the mitigation measures for climate change in seven regions, including South Karelia. The aims of the six-year project include, among other things, increasing decentralised production of renewable energy and creating the conditions for low carbon consumption and production, says project leader Laura Saikku, Senior Research Scientist at the Finnish Environment Institute.

• A special feature of the project is promoting the widespread adoption of good measures across Finland. The mitigation of climate change now requires effective action spread widely. Of concrete measures, the pilot project of Lappeenranta is one of the largest.

Further details:

CITY OF LAPPEENRANTA

Ilkka Räsänen, Environmental Director

tel. +358 400 815 284 ilkka.rasanen(at)lappeenranta.fi

ELSTOR OY

Kari Suninen, CEO

tel. +358 40 558 3706, kari.suninen(at)elstor.fi

CANEMURE project/Finnish Environment Institute

Laura Saikku

tel. +358 400 148 771, laura.saikku(at)ymparisto.fi