Studies, heating market 

According to the ‘Fit for 55’ package published by the European Commission in July 2021, Member States should open their district heating and cooling networks to third parties, with certain exceptions. In addition, cooperation between district heating and cooling companies and potential producers of waste heat as well as the transmission and distribution system operators should be strengthened.

For these reasons, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is examining alternatives and practices so that renewable non-combustion-based heat production and waste heat, utilisation of demand response systems and integration of different energy systems could be more flexibly considered in the district heating market. Another premise of the analysis is to assess whether Finland continues to meet the requirements of EU legislation to provide customers with carbon neutral district heat by 2030.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment examined cost-effective alternatives and practices for improving the operating conditions of district heating and for increasing the use of renewable and other emissions-free energy and waste heat in the district heating network.

The Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) (EU) 2023/1791 states that high-efficiency cogeneration and efficient district heating and cooling have significant potential for saving primary energy in the Union. As part of the directive's implementation, a comprehensive assessment of the potential for high efficiency cogeneration and efficient district heating and cooling will be carried out in Finland. The survey will be completed in the summer of 2024. 

More information: paivi.laitila(at)gov.fi and pia.kotro(at)gov.fi