Energy

Largest waste water treatment plant in the Nordic countries

13.05.2019 , ,

Our materials processing students on the Sustainable Engineering course were on the move again today to Viikinmäki waste water treatment plant in Helsinki. We went underground through the largest treatment plant in the Nordic countries, which processes the wastewaters of around 800,000 residents as well as the wastewaters of the region’s industry. We learned about the different treatment stages of screening, sedimentation, aeration and biological filtration, and about the current…

Where is Helsinki’s electricity and heating generated?

09.05.2019 , ,

This was a real eye-opening excursion for our engineering students, many of whom had lived in Helsinki for years unaware of the huge energy infrastructure under our feet! We visited Helen’s Salmisaari power plant in the Ruoholahti area of Helsinki. It is a combined heat and power (CHP) plant, where the share of renewable energy is increased by burning wood pellets together with coal. We learned about the challenge of…

Biowaste treatment and landfill site excursion

09.05.2019 , ,

The sun was shining again over Espoo when we went on an interesting (and occaisionally smelly!) tour around HSY’s modern, circular economy-themed waste treatement centre at Ämmässuo. There our engineering students learned about the treatment of biowaste. Two of our thesis students collected biowaste-compost samples for their research projects on the macro- and microplastics in biowaste and how they pass through to the final compost product. We also explored the…

Excursion to Vantaa’s waste-to-energy plant

02.05.2019 ,

Our engineering students visited a modern, and among the best in the world, waste-to-energy plants. It burns unusable waste from the Helsinki region rather than it being put in a landfill. It meets about half of the district heat needed by the entire city of Vantaa, covers about 30% of the electricity demand of Vantaa, and reduces significantly the emissions of greenhouse gases compared to conventional energy production. Exchange student…

Sustainability revolutions exhibition at Aalto University

23.05.2018 , ,

Part 5 of our circular economy spring tour took our engineering students to Aalto University. After visiting major waste treatment facilities, it was time to turn our attention towards the design phase of sustainable materials and products. Currently Aalto University is exhibiting innovative interdisciplinary projects on sustainability. Student Juan Silva: “Pretty advanced. The should be more information to the public about these things, e.g. nanocellulose. The ideas for buildings in other…

Where does all our water go? Excursion to Viikinmäki

23.05.2018 , ,

Our materials technology students were on the move again today to Viikinmäki waste water treatment plant in Helsinki. As part 4 of the circular economy spring tour we went underground through the largest treatment plant in Finland and the Nordic countries, which processes the wastewaters of around 800,000 residents as well as the wastewaters of the region’s industry. We learned about the different treatment stages of screening, sedimentation, aeration and biological…

Engineering students learn where all our mixed waste goes

22.05.2018 , ,

On the second excursion of our circular economy spring tour we visited the waste-to-energy plant in Vantaa. Modern and among the best in the world, it burns unusable waste from the Helsinki region rather than it being put in a landfill. It meets about half of the district heat needed by the entire city of Vantaa, covers about 30% of the electricity demand of Vantaa, and reduces significantly the emissions of…

Hottest day of the year…and we went to a waste landfill site!

22.05.2018 , ,

What better way to enjoy the hot sunny weather than an excursion to Ämmässuo waste treatment centre in Espoo? Part 3 of the circular economy spring tour saw our engineering students getting up close and personal with more modern waste technology. The old landfill had been completely covered and its released gases are collected for energy production. Biowaste is processed to make horticultural compost and problem waste from private citizens…

Circular economy spring tour starts with excursion to Fortum

22.05.2018 , ,

Our energy and materials technology students started their spring tour with an excursion to Fortum’s circular economy village in Riihimäki. It is a pioneering example of future waste management. We were guided through how municipal waste is separated to biowaste, plastic, metal and fuel for their waste-to-energy plant. And we got our hands on recycled plastic from their Plastic Refinery. Student Christofer Enlund said “Interesting place. They recycled quite a lot,…