Valmet’s energy balance optimizer enables full participation in reserve markets at Vantaan Energia
Valmet has delivered the Valmet DNAe Energy Balance Optimizer solution to Vantaan Energia’s entire fleet of power plants in Finland, optimizing the company’s balance between energy production and consumption with real-time responsiveness to market conditions. The first project phases have been commissioned, and the mission-critical solution now enables Vantaan Energia to fully participate in reserve markets. With operations completely automated, operators can focus on overseeing the overall energy production and the electricity market, as rapid market changes have made continuous manual adjustments impossible.
The Martinlaakso power plant area consists of a biofuel-fired plant (100 MW heat / 35 MW electricity), a district heating battery (750 MWh, 60 MW charge/discharge), an electric boiler (60 MW), and an additional heat storage unit (700 MWh).
The project originated from a clear operational challenge: reserve markets operated in 15‑minute periods, which significantly increased the workload for operators. Electric boilers and other reserve market assets required constant adjustments, making manual control impractical and creating the risk of costly production losses. To address this, Valmet and Vantaan Energia jointly projected a solution customized to Vantaan Energia’s specific needs. This is the first implementation of the Valmet DNAe Energy Balance Optimizer at this scale. The outcome reduces operational strain and ensures reliable participation in reserve markets, delivering both efficiency and substantial cost savings for the customer.
”Our experience with the solution has been excellent. It demonstrates outstanding foresight and gives us the ability to respond precisely to changes in the electricity market. The system is highly cost-effective, providing exceptional value for money, and its implementation has been of the highest standard. Integration with third-party systems has been seamless, and Valmet’s local service team, together with their comprehensive training, offers reliable and continuous support. The entire system has already proven successful, and in the future, the integration of district heating control will further optimize heat management in line with reserve market requirements,” says Juha-Pekka Manninen, Project Manager at Vantaan Energia.
From left: Valmet's Chief Designer Simo Ovaskainen, Vantaan Energia's Development Engineer Kari Pulkkinen, and Valmet's Project Manager Jussi Oikari in the DNAe Energy Balance Optimizer training held at Valmet’s Tikkurila office.
”We are proud to have implemented Valmet’s comprehensive DNAe Energy Balance Optimizer solution at our long-standing customer Vantaan Energia. It streamlines reserve market management and production control while also optimizing district heating production efficiently, flexibly, and cost-effectively. The energy sector is changing rapidly toward a faster-paced, decentralized model, with electricity markets playing an increasingly important role alongside traditional heat production. This solution provides our customer with a reliable and effective way to meet these challenges, enabling them to focus on overall system management while responding quickly to changing market conditions,” says Teijo Salonpää, Senior Sales Manager, Automation Solutions business area, Valmet.
The waste-to-energy plant processes up to 420,000 tons of waste annually, producing 920 GWh of district heat and 600 GWh of electricity, covering about 30% of Vantaa’s yearly power demand.
Delivery technical information
The delivery includes Valmet DNAe Energy Balance Optimizer, as well as the integration platform that is the first of its kind in Finland. Previously, the customer was provided with Valmet DNA Energy Management System (EMS) and plant-wide automation solutions. The complete solution manages Vantaan Energia’s entire power-plant portfolio, including: Martinlaakso’s electric boiler and steam turbine, the waste-to-energy plant’s steam turbine, future waste-heat recovery sites, and the Tuusulajärvi district heating plant.
The Valmet DNA Energy Management System optimizes production plans in alignment with electricity market conditions. The Valmet DNAe Energy Balance Optimizer manages the plant’s production in real time, using confirmed energy market trades and EMS production plans to ensure optimal operational efficiency. Plant-wide automation solutions, including turbine and electric boiler control systems, regulate processes automatically, ensuring smooth and reliable plant operations.
About the customer
Vantaan Energia is a major Finnish energy company jointly owned by the cities of Vantaa and Helsinki. It produces and supplies electricity and district heating to the metropolitan area, relying largely on waste-to-energy, bioenergy, and other renewable sources. In 2024, Vantaan Energia produced 1,695 GWh of heat and 2,019 GWh of electricity. Committed to sustainability, Vantaan Energia focuses on energy efficiency, circular economy solutions, and reducing fossil fuel dependence, aiming to provide reliable, environmentally friendly energy for its customers.
For further information, please contact:
Teijo Salonpää, Senior Sales Manager, Automation Solutions business area, Valmet
tel. +358405242675, teijo.salonpaa(at)valmet.com
