Utilitas opened the largest thermal storage facility in the Baltics

Utilitas opened the largest thermal storage facility in the Baltic States, with a capacity of 1100 MWh, at the Väo energy complex in Tallinn, which enables to harmonise daily energy production and reduce the use of fossil fuels.

“In today’s energy industry, where flexibility and efficiency are increasingly important, storage plays a very important role. This allows for a better response to the variability in consumption, increases production efficiency and security of supply of the entire system. Storage technology is equally necessary in both electricity and heat networks,” described Priit Koit, CEO of the Utilitas Group.

Väo thermal storage facility is the first large-scale heat accumulator in Tallinn. This year, Utilitas also completed a thermal storage facility in the city of Jõgeva, and the company will build two more similar storage facilities in Tallinn this year – one at the Mustamäe cogeneration plant and other at the Paljassaare heat pump plant. Storage helps to reduce the use of fossil fuels, which in turn also ensures price stability.

“The established thermal storage unit allows heat to be stored and used when heat consumption is high, thereby helping to strengthen the reliability of the district heating network. Greater flexibility and a more stable district heating network are in the interests of every resident of Tallinn. Investments must be continued, and the thermal storage facility that has been built is an example of how investments made in the interests of consumers and to increase security of supply are also economically expedient,” said Peeter Raudsepp, Mayor of Tallinn.

Väo thermal storage facility is 42 metres high and 26 metres in diameter. This allows it to store 20,000 cubic meters of water, which is equivalent to the capacity of nearly eight full-size Olympic pools. The capacity of the thermal storage facility is 80 MW. It was built by the Swedish company Granitor Rodoverken AB, which is now part of industrial services provider Bilfinger. The total cost of the thermal storage facility amounts to 8 million euros. The project was co-financed by the Environmental Investment Centre with 675,000 euros from the funds of the European Union’s recovery instrument NextGenerationEU.

At the Väo energy complex in Tallinn, green energy is produced in two high-efficiency combined heat and power plants and two solar parks.

Photos of the thermal storage facility and the opening event can be found in the gallery.