Say Hello to the World’s Largest Green Heat Pump

In its effort to become a carbon-neutral city by 2030, Helsinki is building the world’s largest heat pump. It will be powered only by renewable energy sources and capable of keeping up to 30,000 homes warm during Finland’s cold winters.

“Urban district heating projects that utilize climate-neutral technologies are essential for advancing global efforts to reduce carbon emissions,” states Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions. “We are excited to see our heat pump solution play a key role in driving the energy transition forward.”

Half of Finland’s energy for heating and cooling comes from biomass. With its carbon-neutral goal in mind, Helsinki has decided to have its centralized heating production from greener, renewable sources like wind and solar. The pump can operate at temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius and has a production capacity ranging from 20 to 33 megawatts, depending on the air temperature, making it the largest heat pump in the world. The heat pump saves 26,000 tons of CO² emissions annually as it deploys an oil-free motor compressor. It is expected to begin operations by 2026-2027 and deliver pricing stability for customers as production can be easily adjusted.