Nearly EUR 31 million in RRF energy investment aid granted to clean energy projects

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has granted approximately EUR 30.9 million in energy investment aid under Finland’s Recovery and Resilience Plan to 12 projects related to energy infrastructure and the electrification and decarbonisation of industrial processes. Minister of Climate and the Environment Kai Mykkänen signed the aid decisions on 19 December 2023.

The investments relate to recovering and utilising waste heat, improving energy efficiency and electrifying industrial processes. 

“The funded projects will replace combustion-based energy production and imported fuels. The projects show that by increasing clean electricity we can help industry and waste heat production withdraw from combustion-based energy production. Finland’s aim to become a leader in clean energy creates a foundation for new investments and takes us towards carbon negativity,” says Minister of Climate and the Environment Kai Mykkänen.

The Government has earlier granted a total of EUR 344 million in RRF energy investment aid to 43 projects under the Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland. In addition, Business Finland has granted a total of EUR 61.3 million to two IPCEIs (Important Projects of Common European Interest) on clean hydrogen and around EUR 3.8 million to four industrial electrification projects. 

The granting of aid is based on overall consideration and comparison of projects, with special attention paid to the feasibility of projects, as the investments must be completed by 30 June 2026. In this round, investment aid was granted to the following projects:

EUR 15,833,080 in investment aid for energy infrastructure projects

• Kotka Energia Oy was granted EUR 1,783,678 for the recovery of waste heat from a wastewater treatment plant. 
• Porvoon Energia Oy was granted EUR 2,074,200 for the utilisation of non-combustion-based district heating in Porvoo. 
• Seinäjoen Energia Oy was granted EUR 1,802,967 for the utilisation of waste heat from a wastewater treatment plant and for the renewal of energy infrastructure. 
• Oulun Energia Oy was granted EUR 1,410,000 for the production of decentralised district heat with heat pumps combined into a multi-energy virtual power plant. 
• Loimua Oy was granted EUR 2,916,875 for heat recovery from district heating of SSAB’s Hämeenlinna plant and a district heat transmission line. 
• Alva-yhtiöt Oy was granted EUR 5,845,360 for the utilisation of waste heat from treated waste water for district heat. 

EUR 15,075,406 for industrial electrification and decarbonisation projects

• Metsä Board Oyj was granted EUR 6,939,600 for fossil-free drying of coating and sheet packaging. 
• Saint-Gobain Finland Oy was granted EUR 2,100,000 to electrify the calcination process. 
• Valmet Technologies Oy was granted EUR 1,625,000 to increase energy efficiency through waste heat. 
• Adven Oy was granted EUR 1,857,878 to electrify energy production and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. 
• Adven Oy was granted EUR 1,006,303 to electrify and decarbonise industrial processes. 
• Atria Oyj was granted EUR 1,546,625 to electrify heat production at its Nurmo plant.

More information on the funded projects and their contact details are available in the appendix to this press release (in Finnish).

Inquiries: 
Pekka Grönlund, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 29 506 4815, pekka.gronlund(at)gov.fi
Salla Palander, Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 29 504 7049 (energy infrastructure projects)
Pekka Kärpänen, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 29 504 7882 (electrification projects)