EPV Energy is building a flexible energy system
EPV Energy, a leader in zero-emission energy production, aims to be carbon neutral by 2030. The company has generated and acquired both electricity and heat for its shareholders for over 70 years. Today, it produces about six percent of all energy consumed in Finland with wind, hydro, and nuclear power as well as combined heat and power (CHP). EPV’s first solar farm will also start operating in 2025.
After investing heavily in carbon-free production, EPV has moved its focus to sector coupling and energy storage to improve flexibility in the increasingly weather-dependent energy system.
“As we say, the most flexible player is the star of the pitch. When there is excess wind or solar energy in the grid, we need to have ways to store it for later use to guarantee supply at all times”, says Mats Söderlund, Vice President of CHP Production and Energy Storage at EPV Energy.
EPV already utilises various solutions that enhance flexibility. In addition to a substantial CHP and heat production portfolio, the company has district heating batteries and storages, a 12 MW electric battery, and one of Finland’s largest electric boiler capacities.
“Our boilers’ total output is 240 MW, and it continues to grow. The boilers transform excess electricity into heat that is stored in EPV’s thermal energy storages and used when weather-dependent energy production is low. The largest of these storages has a capacity of 11 GWh, soon to be increased to 17 GWh.”
Flexible energy production is a vital part of ensuring Finland’s security of supply. For this reason, in addition to investing in energy storage and sector coupling, EPV still maintains its CHP power plants that are utilised when additional energy generation is needed for longer time periods.
“However, traditional CHP plants are not entirely flexible as it takes time to get them fully operational”, Söderlund points out.
This is why in 2024, EPV’s subsidiary Tornion Voima made an investment decision to build a modern gas engine power plant in Röyttä. There, natural gas will be used as a bridge fuel until renewable or e-fuels are commercially available and viable.
“A plant like this can be started up quickly, taking our flexibility to a new level.”
