One third of district heat production in Finland uses renewable energy

The share of renewable energy sources used in district heating increased rapidly to one third in Finland in 2014, reported Finnish national broadcaster Yle on Thursday.

An analysis conducted by Finnish Energy Industries (ET) showed that the share of wood, wood residue and other domestic renewable energy sources used in producing district heating rose to as much as 33 percent last year, said Yle.

Jari Kostama, director of ET, said the share of domestic fuels used in district heat production exceeded 50 percent for the first time in Finland, according to Yle.

One growing source of additional energy in district heat production is waste, which has allowed the use of fossil fuels to drop. The share of waste in district heating fuels rose to six percent last year.

At the same time, the use of natural gas dropped greatly by 16 percent, and coal fell by 2 percent in 2014, compared to one year earlier.

The rise in the use of renewable fuels led to a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions from district heat production by 4 percent last year, said Yle.

District heating in Finland accounts for around half of the total heating market. Over 90 percent of apartment blocks, more than half of terraced houses, as well as most public and business buildings are connected to a district heating network.

Finland is among the world leaders in the use of renewable energy. The share of renewable energy in total energy consumption in Finland is reported to be 34.3 percent, the third highest in the European Union. Endit