Fortum closes an important power plant – No replacement

The Service Assurance Center does not yet have a substitute for the Meri-Pori power plant.

Energy company Fortum announced today that it will permanently close the Meri-Pori coal-fired power plant from March 1, 2027 and dismantle the power plant.

Meri-Pori has been reserved for the Huoltovarmuuskeskus since March 2024. The reservation for maintenance security use is valid until the end of the year.

Head of the maintenance security measures implementation unit of the Service Security Center Aki Laiho says that the search for a replacement alternative for the power plant is still in progress.

“We are also figuring out how to organize reserve opportunities for electricity production in the future. The need is still there, just as it was a few years ago,” says Laiho.

According to Laiho, the shutdown of the Meri-Pori coal-fired power plant did not come as a surprise to the Maintenance Safety Center. He believes that a replacement arrangement will be found by the turn of the year.

“It was already known when the agreement was made that it would expire at the end of this year.”

Domestic options are interesting

Meri-Pori’s departure from the Huoltovarmuuskeskus’ strength is hardly visible to the consumer. Laiho emphasizes that the power plant has functioned as a reserve for serious disruption situations.

“The supply security reserves of the Service Security Center are not intended at all for normal disruption situations or otherwise to support the electricity system. According to our job description, they are intended for very long-term difficult situations,” says Laiho.

According to Laiho, there are other reserve and flexibility arrangements in the electricity market, which would be put into use before the resources of the National Security Agency.

The Meri-Pori power plant was originally intended to be temporary, says Laiho. According to him, now is the time to update the arrangements.

Laiho says that the Huoltovarmuuskeskus is working on different alternatives as a replacement.

“If you look at it in terms of energy, of course the alternatives that are available domestically, of course, offer a good basis.”