Press release: Helsinki Energy Challenge results announced – City equipped for future energy decisions

Helsinki is one of the leading cities in the fight against climate change, with the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2035. The heating system is at the heart of the battle, as its emissions account for more than half of Helsinki’s total emissions. The City of Helsinki arranged the year-long international Helsinki Energy Challenge to find future-proof solutions to heat the city during decades to come. The results of the competition have now been announced.

An international jury has selected four winners from the ten finalists in the Helsinki Energy Challenge.

HIVE, a flexible plan, based on proven technologies and solutions, such as seawater heat pumps, electrical boilers, solar thermal fields and demand side management measures; the plan is capable of integrating new technologies if and when these emerge.

Beyond fossils, an energy transition model based on open and technology neutral clean heating auctions, paving up the path to carbon neutral Helsinki in a flexible and innovation enabling way.

Smart Salt City, a solution that melds a novel thermochemical energy storage and artificial intelligence with commercially available energy technologies.

Helsinki’s Hot Heart, a flexible system made of 10 floating reservoirs filled with 10 million cubic metres of hot seawater that can receive different energy sources as input. Four of the cylindrical tanks that make up Helsinki’s Hot Heart would be enclosed with inflatable roof structures to create a new leisure attraction.

The awarded proposals illustrate the diversity of the challenge and the diversity of approaches necessary to achieve a flexible and resilient (...)

Read the Press Release