Plans pair gas turbine project with solar farm in Kotka

Spanish energy systems company GEN-H plans to build a gas-fired power plant at the former Sunila pulp mill site in Kotka, while a solar power plant is planned for the nearby Hietanen port field, Yle reports.

The gas plant would use equipment from Hycamite to split natural gas into hydrogen and carbon. The hydrogen would be burned in a turbine when electricity is needed, without producing carbon dioxide during gas combustion. The carbon would be used as an industrial raw material.

The plant is intended to balance fluctuations in electricity production from wind and solar power. Its electricity could be used at the new industrial area or fed into the national grid. A gas pipeline already reaches the former factory area. GEN-H and its partners have signed a letter of intent for the project.

The solar plant planned for the empty Hietanen port field could have a capacity of 100 megawatts. Both projects are part of plans to develop the Sunila industrial area, which include renewable energy production and storage, hydrogen-based energy systems, research and pilot projects, and a cluster of companies working in the green transition.

Building permits have not yet been issued, and the matters are under consideration by the city. Stora Enso closed the Sunila pulp mill in 2023, and pulp-related equipment is now being dismantled.