A new emissions-free, electricity-based district heating plant in Nuijala area will increase flexible electricity-based heat production in Espoo. The heating plant is a part of making district heating in the Espoo, Kauniainen and Kirkkonummi region carbon neutral by 2030, owing to Fortum and the City of Espoo’s joint Espoo Clean Heat programme. The Nuijala heating plant is currently under construction, and subsequently, will be taken into operation in late 2025.

The architectural solution is based on the functionality of industrial construction. Concurrently, the building supports the carbon neutrality goals of the City of Espoo’s Clean Heat project with a material-efficient façade solution. Recyclable aluminium sheets line the lower part of the plant, which forms a pedestal that highlights the art of the heat accumulator.

The artwork of the tall district heating battery has guided the design of the façade as a whole. The work ‘Loop’ by Icelandic artist Thórdís Erla Zoëga depicts the movement of water, in fact, reflecting the content of the heat accumulator and clean energy production. The lighting employs various shades of white light to represent the plant’s operation. The shifting colors of the light reflect the plant’s operating cycles, at the same time creating a visual narrative of energy flow and integrating the plant within the landscape as a dynamic element. The selection of the artist, curation and coordination of the artwork has been realized in collaboration with EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art.

Visualization credits: Nomadd