World's largest heat pump in Finland

Helsinki's heat pump will provide 200 GWh of thermal energy annually, capable of heating 30,000 households and helping to reduce 26,000 tons of CO ₂ .

Helsinki , the capital of Finland, is building the world's largest heat pump to heat 30,000 homes during the winter while reducing carbon emissions. The heat pump can operate in conditions as low as -20 degrees Celsius while using only renewable energy, Interesting Engineering reported on August 30.

The world's largest heat pump installed in Helsinki, Finland. (Photo: MAN Energy Solutions).

District heating is a common mechanism for maximizing energy efficiency. Authorities centralize heat production and distribute it to homes and businesses through underground pipes. Such an approach is used in many cities around the world, but often relies on fossil fuels to produce heat.

Half of Finland's energy for heating and cooling comes from biomass, according to the International Energy Agency. As Helsinki aims to be carbon neutral by the end of the decade, the city government is upgrading its central heating system to use a greater proportion of its energy from cleaner renewable sources.

'Helsinki has an ambitious target of being carbon neutral by 2030 and transforming the heating system plays a key role in achieving that goal ,' said Juhani Aaltonen, vice president of green energy investments at Helen Oy, the Finnish energy company that operates the heating system.

Unlike a furnace or air conditioner, which work well for one season, a heat pump is more energy efficient and can operate in all weather conditions. Heat pumps work on the simple principle of transferring heat from a cool place to a warm place, making the cool place cooler and the warm place warmer. The system achieves this by using electricity to raise the low-temperature heat to a usable higher temperature. While most heat pumps use environmentally harmful gases, the Helsinki facility will use carbon dioxide as the refrigerant.

According to MAN Energy, the heat pump manufacturer, CO2 _can provide heat up to 90 degrees Celsius while operating at -20 degrees Celsius. The heat production capacity ranges from 20 to 33 MW, depending on the air temperature, making the facility the largest heat pump in the world. The setup is also unique in that it uses an oil-free motor compressor. The compressor uses a high-speed motor and active bearings, allowing it to operate without a packing air system or oil system.

The electricity used for the heat pump is sourced from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, helping to shift heating demand from fossil fuels to green energy. The heat pump with 50 MW boilers will provide 200 GWh of thermal energy to 30,000 Helsinki households per year, saving 26,000 tons of CO ₂ . The heat pump is expected to start operating in 2026 - 2027, providing customers with price stability because the production process can be easily adjusted.