Helsingin Energia
Encyclopedia
Helsingin Energia Helsingfors Energi (Swedish
), founded in 1909 and based in Helsinki
, is one of the largest energy companies in Finland
. The company is owned by the city of Helsinki and it produces and sells electricity, district heating
and district cooling.
Helsingin Energia is headquartered in the Sähkötalo
building in central Helsinki and it operates five power plants in Helsinki and four in the Kymenlaakso
region. Additionally, the company has nine district heating plants in Helsinki.
s.
Helsingin kaupungin sähkölaitos (electricity works of the City of Helsinki) was established in 1909. Every small electricity companies in Helsinki were transferred to the ownership of the City.
In 1977 the company was combined with "Helsingin kaupungin kaasulaitos" (Helsinki city's gas works), which produced coal gas
. After this, Helsingin kaupungin sähkölaitos was renamed "Helsingin kaupungin energialaitos" (Helsinki city's energy plant).
Later the production of coal gas was ceased, and the gas pipes were sold to a company called Helsinkikaasu, which started to provide natural gas
.
In 1995 the name of the company was changed to Helsingin Energia.
Helsingin Energia is the biggest company in Finland that sells district heating.
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
), founded in 1909 and based in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, is one of the largest energy companies in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. The company is owned by the city of Helsinki and it produces and sells electricity, district heating
District heating
District heating is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heating and water heating...
and district cooling.
Helsingin Energia is headquartered in the Sähkötalo
Sähkötalo
Sähkötalo is the name of the building located in downtown Helsinki, in Kamppi, that serves as the headquarters of Helsingin Energia. The building was designed by Alvar Aalto....
building in central Helsinki and it operates five power plants in Helsinki and four in the Kymenlaakso
Kymenlaakso
Kymenlaakso is a region in Finland. It borders to the regions Uusimaa, Päijänne Tavastia, Southern Savonia, and South Karelia.- Historical provinces :For history, geography and culture see: Uusimaa , Karelia- Municipalities :...
region. Additionally, the company has nine district heating plants in Helsinki.
History
The first electricity company was constructed in Helsinki in 1884 and several energy companies were established over the following 20 years. However, each of these new companies only produced enough electricity to power a few city blockCity block
A city block, urban block or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. A city block is the smallest area that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are the space for buildings within the street pattern of a city, they form the basic unit of a city's urban fabric...
s.
Helsingin kaupungin sähkölaitos (electricity works of the City of Helsinki) was established in 1909. Every small electricity companies in Helsinki were transferred to the ownership of the City.
In 1977 the company was combined with "Helsingin kaupungin kaasulaitos" (Helsinki city's gas works), which produced coal gas
Coal gas
Coal gas is a flammable gaseous fuel made by the destructive distillation of coal containing a variety of calorific gases including hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane and volatile hydrocarbons together with small quantities of non-calorific gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen...
. After this, Helsingin kaupungin sähkölaitos was renamed "Helsingin kaupungin energialaitos" (Helsinki city's energy plant).
Later the production of coal gas was ceased, and the gas pipes were sold to a company called Helsinkikaasu, which started to provide natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
.
In 1995 the name of the company was changed to Helsingin Energia.
District heating production
In 1953 Helsingin Energia started to produce district heating. Nowadays over 90% of apartments in Helsinki use district heating.Helsingin Energia is the biggest company in Finland that sells district heating.