Finland Shuts Down Last Active Coal-Fired Power Plant

By Anne Kauranen
April 1, 2025

HELSINKI – Finland has officially closed its last operational coal-fired power and heat plant, a significant step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to renewable energy sources. The Helsinki energy group, Helen, has announced the permanent shutdown of the Salmisaari plant, marking a pivotal moment in the nation's energy policy.

A Necessary Transition

The closure of the Salmisaari plant on April 1, 2025, is part of Finland’s broader strategy to phase out coal, prompted in part by legislation passed in 2019 that aims to ban coal usage by 2029. Helen's CEO, Olli Sirkka, stated that while coal usage will not vanish entirely in Finland—some plants may still use coal for emergency or peak demand scenarios—the Salmisaari plant represents the end of routine coal power generation in the country.

Sirkka highlighted the fast-growing capacity of Finland's renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, which have rapidly decreased coal dependency. He stated, “Of course, we cannot say that not a single gram of coal will be burned in Finland anymore… this is indeed Finland's last coal power plant that is in daily production use.”

Future Energy Solutions

Helen plans to secure the energy previously generated by the Salmisaari plant, which produced 175 megawatts of power and 300 megawatts of heat annually, through alternative means. The company will integrate electricity, waste heat, heat pumps, as well as utilizing pellets and wood chips in its energy production mix. Looking ahead, Sirkka indicated a goal of eliminating all burning of fuels, setting ambitions to reduce emissions to 5% of 1990 levels by 2030 and to completely cease all combustion activities by 2040. Despite the investment in a clean energy transition, Sirkka affirmed that Finland enjoys some of the lowest electricity prices in Europe, trailing only Sweden and Norway. He also projected a 5.8% decrease in average district heating prices this year, benefiting consumers.

Environmental Impact

The shutdown of the Salmisaari plant is expected to halve Helen's carbon dioxide emissions from the previous year and contribute nearly 2% to a reduction in Finland's overall emissions. However, environmental organization Beyond Fossil Fuels remarked that while Finland's exit from coal power is significant, two smaller plants are still operational in the country, continuing to burn coal for certain outputs and one remaining for strategic purposes during energy spikes.

This transition highlights Finland's commitment to sustainable energy practices and will likely influence energy policy decisions across Europe as nations navigate the complex challenges of climate change and energy production.

For further updates and insights on Finland’s energy transformations and other related environmental issues, please stay tuned.