SSAB has completed and commissioned a new heating and cooling plant at its Hameenlinna site, developed by local energy company Loimua, enabling the recovery of industrial waste heat for the city’s district heating network.
The facility captures waste heat from SSAB’s closed cooling water system and supplies around 15pct of Hameenlinna’s district heating demand. Heat is transferred from the steel plant to a heat pump facility via a dedicated pipeline, raised to about 85 Celsius, and then delivered to Loimua’s Vanaja power plant for integration into the district heating system. Around 2.5 km of district heating pipeline has been built to connect the facilities.
SSAB said the project supports its sustainability objectives by improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions, while Loimua estimates the initiative will cut annual carbon dioxide emissions by about 8,750 tons. The project also reduces the use of biofuels and natural gas by increasing the share of heat produced without combustion.
