Vantaa Energy and the City of Helsinki are collaborating to develop a snow melting plant that can process up to 1.2 million cubic meters of snow per winter season.
Vantaa Energy and the City of Helsinki have joined forces to create a new snow melting plant next to the LÃ¥ngmossebergen waste power plant in Vantaa. This facility is designed to handle substantial volumes of snow, with a potential capacity of over 1.2 million cubic meters during the winter months. On particularly snowy winters, the plant could process more than 700 truckloads of snow each day, which would not only assist local snow management but also benefit neighboring regions in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
Once operational, the snow melting plant will enable Helsinki to eliminate its practice of dumping snow into the sea, which poses environmental concerns. The melting process is designed to capture sand, litter, oils, and microplastics, thereby reducing environmental pollution and opening up possibilities for recycling materials like sand. This effort is part of a broader initiative aimed at improving ecological sustainability in urban areas.
The snow will be melted using heat from the district heating system's return water. This method not only facilitates snow melting efficiently but also cools the return water, enhancing the overall energy efficiency of the power plant. By optimizing the temperature of the return water, the plant can improve its performance and energy output, thus contributing to a more sustainable urban heating system.
