01 April 2025

Helsinki’s Salmisaari coal plant closes, marking a near-total coal exit for Finland

Helsinki, 1 April 2025 – Power utility Helen is decommissioning its 177 MW Salmisaari coal plant today, bringing Finland to the brink of a full coal phase-out four years ahead of schedule.

Coal power generation has collapsed in Finland in recent years, thanks to a surge in wind power and clear political direction. Since 2020, wind generation has more than doubled and now supplies a quarter of the country’s electricity. Over the same period, coal-fired generation has plummeted by 73%, dropping to less than 1% of the electricity mix, while fossil gas is down 82% [1].

This dramatic shift was sparked by the Finnish parliament’s 2019 law to ban coal from 2029 [2], sending a strong signal to utilities and investors. Similarly to the UK, which phased out coal last year thanks to a surge in wind power, Finland has replaced imported fossil fuels with domestically produced wind power, strengthening energy security, cutting emissions, and boosting economic competitiveness. A recent report from the Confederation of Finnish Industries found that wind power is “the biggest enabler of Finland’s economic growth”, accounting for €26 billion (44%) of all green industrial investments expected to move ahead in Finland [3].

“Finland has shown what’s possible when clear political signals are matched with rapid investments in renewable power,” said Cyrille Cormier, Deputy Campaign Director at Beyond Fossil Fuels. “Wind alone has more than covered the gap left by coal and fossil gas, proving that renewable energy can be scaled fast, particularly when government policy creates the right conditions. It’s time to formalise what’s already happening and bring the coal exit forward.”

Minna Sumelius, Executive Director at civil society organisation Coal-Free Finland, whose campaigning has played a key role in securing the closure of Salmisaari, said: “The demands of the Coal-Free Helsinki campaign and the broader environmental movement to phase out coal power were once considered impossible. However, closing down the Helsinki coal plants will cumulatively reduce Finland’s total emissions by 5%. This is a clear demonstration of the transformative power of the climate movement.”

Together with Salmisaari, Finland’s two remaining coal-burning plants—Vaskiluoto 2 and Martinlaakso 2—contributed just 0.8% of the country’s electricity in 2024. Vaskiluoto 2 uses coal for about 30% of its fuel. Martinlaakso 2 is also co-fired with coal and biomass. Its operator plans to stop burning fossil fuels in 2026. A third coal plant, Meri-Pori, remains only in strategic reserve [4].

While Finland’s infamous Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant has added some generation capacity, its 13-year delay and ballooning costs make it a textbook example of why nuclear power is too slow and too costly when compared to sustainable renewable power solutions [5]. The bulk of Finland’s progress towards fossil-free power has come from wind, and will be further propelled by investing in an increasingly flexible grid. 

“Finland is now on the cusp of a fossil-free power system. But the right way to finish the job isn’t with biomass that can pollute as much as coal, nor with delayed, ridiculously expensive nuclear projects. It’s by doubling down on rapidly scalable renewables and clean flexibility that maximise their potential,” said Cormier.

END

Notes

  1. Ember’s electricity data explorer: https://ember-energy.org/data/electricity-data-explorer/
  2. Finland passed a law in 2019, banning the use of coal as a fuel for electricity or heat production from 1 May 2029: https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/saadoskokoelma/2019/416#OT2
  3. A report from the Confederation of Finnish Industries found that wind power now accounts for €26 billion of green industrial investments expected to move forward in Finland: https://suomenuusiutuvat.fi/en/study-on-the-economic-impact-of-green-investments-wind-power-is-the-biggest-enabler-of-finlands-economic-growth/
  4. Martinlaakso 2’s operator plans to stop burning fossil fuels in 2026:
    https://www.vantaanenergia.fi/en/vantaa-energy-aims-to-be-the-leading-circular-energy-company-in-the-nordic-countries-by-2035/
    Vaskiluoto 2 runs mostly on biomass, with around 30% of its fuel coming from coal: https://www.vaasanvoima.fi/en/power-plants/

The Meri-Pori coal-fired power plant will be in national strategic reserve until the end of 2026 and will only run in situations of severe disruptions and emergencies: https://www.fortum.com/investors/why-invest-fortum/responsible-investment

  1. Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant came online 13 years behind schedule and on a massively inflated budget: https://yle.fi/a/3-12356596
  2. Numerous recent scientific studies show that burning whole trees for electricity increases carbon emissions compared to coal: https://www.nrdc.org/bio/sami-yassa/new-study-confirms-some-biomass-dirtier-coal

 

Contacts:

Julia Pazos, Communications Manager, Beyond Fossil Fuels
[email protected], +1 310 994 9692

Cyrille Cormier, Deputy Campaign Director, Beyond Fossil Fuels.
[email protected], +33(0)608755013

Minna Sumelius, Executive Director, Coal-Free Finland
[email protected], +358 41 3140268

About: 

Beyond Fossil Fuels is a collective civil society campaign committed to ensuring all of Europe’s electricity is generated from fossil-free, renewable energy by 2035. It expands and builds upon the Europe Beyond Coal campaign, and its goal of a coal-free Europe in power and heat by 2030 at the latest. www.beyondfossilfuels.org

Read also
BLOG
REPORT
BRIEFING
PRESS RELEASE
INFOGRAPHIC

19 March 2025

EU policymakers must galvanise a shift away from coal-based steelmaking to boost industrial competitiveness and guarantee a future for over two million workers, according to a research launched today and endorsed by 28 civil society organisations.(1)(2) The research titled “The State of the European Steel Transition” (This link will be live on March 19) highlights that the industry is at a crossroads but that “there is a clear pathway to green steel” and this year is critical for advancing policies to drive the EU steel industry’s transition. 

BLOG
REPORT
BRIEFING
PRESS RELEASE
INFOGRAPHIC

19 March 2025

The European steel industry stands at a pivotal crossroads. As one of the most emissions-intensive sectors, responsible for 5% of the European Union’s (EU) total emissions and over a quarter of industrial emissions, its transformation is essential to achieving the EU’s ambitious climate goals. The steel sector must undergo rapid decarbonisation, shifting away from polluting coal-based production towards clean, near-zero emissions alternatives. This transition is not only an environmental imperative but also an opportunity to secure the industry’s long-term competitiveness, ensure job security, and reinforce Europe’s industrial leadership in a changing global market.

BLOG
REPORT
BRIEFING
PRESS RELEASE
INFOGRAPHIC

25 February 2025

Renewable energy comes in all sizes and shapes, from small-scale solar panels on rooftops to massive wind farms offshore. The beauty of renewables lies in their versatility and adaptability, allowing solutions to be tailored to meet the unique needs and priorities of each community. This diversity opens the door to creating a fair, clean, and prosperous energy future. Benefit sharing mechanisms are at the heart of this transformation. They ensure that renewable energy projects don’t just “land” in communities but actively involve and benefit them. When done right—not as a greenwashing exercise but through meaningful engagement and participation—benefit sharing creates win-win outcomes for developers and communities alike while advancing climate goals.

BLOG
REPORT
BRIEFING
PRESS RELEASE
INFOGRAPHIC

12 February 2025

A new investigation by NGO groups Beyond Fossil Fuels and Re-set suggests that promises by major European power company EPH that it will move away from coal by 2030 are not necessarily to be taken at face value.