Finland and UK collaborate on battle for environment

28 September 2010

Finnish companies descended on London last week as they promoted how their services could bolster the UK’s environmental credentials. The Cleantech event aimed to illustrate how Finish companies can contribute to ambitious UK targets designed to significantly cut carbon emissions.

Olli Tevä, Vacon’s marketing director for renewable energy, speaking at the Cleantech event
Olli Tevä, Vacon’s marketing director for renewable energy, speaking at the Cleantech event

Mark Prisk, the UK Minister of State for Business and Enterprise addressed the companies and press alongside the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development of Finland Paavo Vayrynen. The politicians both stressed how important it was to support the EU-wide target to source 20 per cent of energy from renewables by 2020.

Vayrynen pointed out that cold weather, scarce natural resources, energy intensive businesses and the need to travel large distances had forced Finland to develop energy efficient processes. With this in mind Vayrynen argued that Finland was well placed to provide expertise to other countries as they work to meet tough targets.

The event outlined examples of Finish companies that had already landed work in the UK’s cleantech sector. “Metso is currently delivering a biomass boiler to RWE npower renewables for a co-generation plant being built for Tullis Russell Papermakers in Markinch, Fife,” explained Aija Kalander, communications director of energy and environmental technology at Metso, a technology and services provider involved with the event.

“The new power boiler will be part of a co-generation plant that will supply the Tullis Russell paper mills with heat and electricity from biomass, mainly in the form of recycled wood. It’s possible to attain up to 80 per cent overall efficiency in combined heat and power produciton.”

AC drives manufacturer, Vacon also spoke at the event. The company has a strong foothold in the renewable energy business and has used its expertise in drive manufacture to create an product for the solar sector.

Olli Tevä, Vacon’s marketing director for renewable energy, explained that renewables were starting to get to a point where they would no longer need government subsidies to survive. He felt solar energy was in a more advanced position than wind and added that Vacon was looking to establish a firm presence in the industry.


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