Energy infrastructure enabling industrial growth in Finland

Keravan Energia, operating in the heart of the region, offers a concrete example of this approach. With nearly 120 years of experience, the company combines electricity distribution, district heating and new energy solutions into a unified and highly reliable system. Its customer-owned structure helps maintain competitive pricing, but equally important is the ability to develop solutions collaboratively with companies and ensure uninterrupted energy supply.

“Our goal is to act as a strong enabler for innovation and new business ideas. We want to utilize everything that makes sense – not just produce more energy,” says Heikki Hapuli, Production Director at Keravan Energia.

Scaling carbon-negative energy with e-methane

The region’s direction becomes particularly tangible in the planned e-methane project, which illustrates the transition from linear energy use to circular systems. Nordic Ren-Gas Oy is developing a Power-to-Gas facility in the area that will produce renewable e-methane, hydrogen and district heating. The plant will be located close to the Keravan Energia biomass power plant, and production is planned to start in 2029.

In this model, flue gases are no longer treated as emissions, but as valuable raw material, while the resulting waste heat is captured and fed back into the energy network. “We produce around 400 gigawatt-hours of heat annually, and we now have the potential to recover up to 150 gigawatt-hours of that,” Hapuli explains.

Biomass-based production enables a carbon-negative model, where carbon is not only reduced but actively bound. What makes this particularly relevant for investors is that individual projects are not standalone solutions – they are integrated into a wider energy ecosystem where production, recovery and utilization are interconnected. This improves efficiency, reduces risk and enables scalable solutions.

The same principle is already visible in data infrastructure. The OnZero data center, commissioned in 2026, delivers around 20 GWh of recoverable heat annually into the district heating network, covering the majority of Söderkulla’s heating demand. This demonstrates how energy flows can be optimized across sectors, creating value for multiple stakeholders simultaneously.

Finland’s energy system enables collaboration

A key competitive advantage of the Helsinki Ring of Industry lies in Finland’s unique energy system. A diverse energy mix, an extensive district heating network and comparatively affordable electricity together create a combination that is difficult to replicate elsewhere.

District heating plays a particularly important role as a platform that connects different actors. It allows excess heat from industrial processes and data centers to be efficiently redistributed, reducing the need for individual, isolated energy solutions.

“Finland’s district heating network acts as an energy platform. It allows heat produced by different operators to be captured and distributed efficiently,” Hapuli notes.

Equally important is the role of long-term partnerships. Energy solutions are developed in close collaboration with companies, ensuring that they are aligned with real production needs and business goals from the outset.

“We develop solutions together with our customers, building them around their business operations. This kind of long-term cooperation increases trust and predictability,” Hapuli emphasizes.

From experimentation to scalable solutions

Infrastructure alone does not explain the region’s development. Equally important is the mindset. In the Helsinki Ring of Industry, continuous development is embedded in everyday operations, and new solutions are actively tested as part of business-driven processes.

“At some point, you simply need to decide that this will be tested. Real value is only created when a solution can be scaled,” Hapuli says.

At the same time, experimentation is not random – it is guided by a clear long-term direction. The boundaries between energy, industry and logistics are becoming increasingly interconnected, and competitive advantage emerges at these intersections. This approach requires the ability to look beyond immediate needs and make decisions that support long-term resilience and efficiency.

“You must be willing to look further into the future and understand that diversity is a strength. Together, we can find more robust solutions,” Hapuli adds.

This ecosystem-based model also strengthens security of supply. A diversified energy structure combined with close cooperation across sectors ensures that the system remains resilient, even under changing external conditions.

A stable environment for industrial growth

For investors and companies, the Helsinki Ring of Industry offers a business environment where the fundamentals for reliable, scalable business are already in place. Located next to the Finnish capital region, the area combines excellent connectivity with available space, cost efficiency and flexibility for growth.

Energy, infrastructure and expertise form a coherent ecosystem in which individual investments become part of a larger, functioning whole. Companies do not operate in isolation, but within a network where resources are used efficiently and development is driven collaboratively.

This translates into a clear advantage: a stable and predictable operating environment where energy works, partners are accessible, and business can be developed with long-term confidence.