Environmental impact assessment of Kotka multi-fuel-fired boiler was completed

Pohjolan Voima is planning to partially replace fossil fuels in Kotka with domestic fuels, mainly bio-fuels and peat. The fuel base can be changed by replacing the current natural gas/oil-fired boiler with a new multi-fuel-fired boiler.

The environmental impact assessment report of the multi-fuel-fired boiler has been completed, and it has been submitted to the coordinating authority, the Southwest Finland Regional Environment Centre.

Currently, the Mussalo power plant is comprised of the coal-fired Mussalo 1 power plant and the natural gas-fired Mussalo 2 power plant. The new multi-fuel-fired boiler would replace the natural gas/oil-fired boiler of the Mussalo 2 power plant. The new boiler would be connected to the existing steam turbine of the Mussalo 2 plant, which might be modernised. In addition to the boiler unit, fuel reception and handling systems and storage areas would be built in the power plant area.

The new multi-fuel-fired boiler would expand the power plant's fuel range to domestic fuels, i.e., wood and field biomass, peat and possibly high-quality recycled fuel.

Substitute production capacity is required to compensate for the decommissioned production capacity of the Mussalo power plant. The modernised power plant, with electric power of approximately 200 MW and fuel power of approximately 500 MW, would be commissioned in 2014 at the earliest.

Decisions on the further measures related to the modernisation of the Mussalo power plant will be made once the coordinating authority has issued its statement on the environmental impact assessment report, which is currently in the public notice phase. The environmental impact assessment has been carried out by Pohjolan Voima Oy's subsidiary Nokian Lämpövoima Oy.

Additional information:
Mikko Kurki, Power Plant Manager, Pohjolan Voima Oy
Heikki Tuominen, Managing Director, Nokian Lämpövoima Oy