Finland’s first solar park set to complete in Liminka with district heating integration

Finland’s first solar park that can be connected to a district heating network is set to be completed in Liminka. According to Jukka Kaarre, the business manager of Oulun Seudun Sähkö, about 30–40% of the energy produced by the solar park will be utilized for district heating, covering about half of Liminka’s heating energy requirements. The company operates nearly 100 heat usage locations in Liminka, including 38 single-family homes, with the remainder being commercial properties or municipal buildings.

The solar plant’s capacity is sufficient to heat 500 electrically heated single-family homes annually, but in Liminka, solar energy will be used partly for district heating during part of the year, with excess electricity fed back into the national grid. The company aims for the solar park to contribute to energy production for seven months of the district heating network. The park will cover approximately 13 hectares, equivalent to about nine football fields.

Kaarre noted that the implementation of the equipment is on schedule, targeting completion by the end of 2024. Additionally, a construction site near the existing heating facility on Kuormatie in Liminka is developing a system that integrates solar energy with air-to-water heat pumps, two electric boilers, and an already installed cylindrical battery.

Joni Pekkala, the company’s district heating production manager, stated that the new system will significantly reduce fuel consumption. Currently, energy production relies on wood pellets and chips during the winter, which are classified as renewable fuels. Emissions produced during their combustion are not considered, as they are accounted for within the land use sector’s carbon accounting.

Kaarre mentioned that a similar solar park is being planned for Muhos, although an investment decision has yet to be made. The new 9.5 MW solar park in Liminka will be constructed by Oomi Solar Oy for Oulun Seudun Sähkö.