Energy production and the environment
Kuopio Energy supplies electricity and district heating as well as associated services to Kuopio and surrounding areas. Environmentally friendly production of electricity and heat, efficient distribution and competitive services are the main strengths of the company.
With production based on Finnish peat, Kuopio Energy can maintain a steady flow of energy in all circumstances. The company is among the most reliable distributors of power in Finland.
195 energy production professionals work for Kuopio Energy. They guarantee good and fast service. A financially stable and modern company like Kuopio Energy is continuously developing its products and services.
The electricity sales of Kuopio Energy account for about 815 GWh (one million kilowatthours) and district heating for 967 GWh. Kuopio Energy caters to 50 000 electricity customers and 5235 heating customers. About 40 % of electricity sales are outside the city of Kuopio.
The production is based on peat which comes from the peatlands of eastern Finland. Peat is a natural fuel. Feelings regarding the status of peat as a bio fuel vary; however, according to the latest scientific evaluations, the effect of carbon dioxide released during the burning of peat is somewhat neutral.
Kuopio Energy uses a technology that harnesses the heat created during the production of electricity. This is then taken and used for district heating. The company is committed to increasing the environmental friendliness of production. For instance, recent changes made to the power stations have cut particle emissions by 75-94 percent.
For those who want a completely clean source of energy, the company offers wind power.
History
The use of electricity in Kuopio began in 1892, when the first electric lights were installed in streetlights.
From 1892-1935, electricity was purchased from local industry or produced by own generators. In 1935 Kuopio was connected to the national grid. The company's own production was begun once the first power station was completed in Haapaniemi in 1972. This was the first municipal heat and power station in Finland to use peat as its main source of energy.
District heating in Kuopio was started in 1963. In the beginning, heat was produced by boilers that were temporary or at fixed locations. Today, nearly 98 percent of the heat is produced by power plants and the rest by hot-water boilers.