The first draft of the energy and climate plan for the municipality of Pornainen is complete!

Pornainen, a small municipality of 5,000 residents in Uusimaa, Finland, is participating in the Enercracy project. Green Net Finland, the Finnish project partner, is developing the first energy and climate plan for Pornainen, which is based on a municipal renewable energy review completed in 2023.

We have now reached the stage where the first draft of the energy and climate plan has been prepared. This milestone follows a major effort that included analysing existing energy- and climate-related documents for Pornainen, meetings with stakeholders, workshops, and consultations with municipal leadership to determine the most realistic measures for the municipality. The plan is closely aligned with Pornainen’s municipal strategy, ensuring that climate action directly supports the municipality’s overall development and vitality.  Furthermore, to ensure the plan’s effectiveness, a strong emphasis has been placed on measurement; a clear monitoring tool has been developed to systematically track implementation and goal achievement. Residents have also been interviewed and invited to share their views on energy and climate-related topics.

Pornaisten Portti industrial park as an enabler of a diverse energy community

The Enercracy project focuses on energy communities, prosumerism, and solar and wind energy in particular. As part of Pornainen’s energy and climate plan, an energy community has been conceptualised for the Pornaisten Portti industrial park, which would offer solutions and perspectives on many of these key points.

Pornaisten Portti is located approximately 4 kilometres from the centre of Pornainen and covers approximately 80 hectares. There are currently various industrial companies operating in the area, but the area is still in the development phase. The energy community of the business area would bring together several forms of renewable energy to create a stable and sustainable entity. The plan outlines an industrial-scale solar park. In addition, waste heat from industry and a data centre, which may be built in the area, could be utilised within the park and/or transferred to the local district heating network. A solar power plant in the industrial park could supply energy to the data centre. Solar power could also be utilised at the park’s electric car charging points.

Active collaboration is also underway with other projects that are planning or operating industrial-scale energy communities. A particularly interesting pioneer in this field in Finland is the LEMENE microgrid of Lempäälän Lämpö, which has served as a model for the plans for the Pornaisten Portti.

The Municipality of Pornainen has expressed strong interest in the industrial and renewable energy sectors within its energy and climate plan; consequently, the industrial park’s energy community represents a particularly compelling development opportunity for the municipality. Electricity and heat network operators in the Pornainen area also see potential in the energy community, and close discussions with these stakeholders are ongoing.

Interim data on the impact of the world’s largest sand battery on emissions

The world’s largest sand battery—a thermal energy storage system—is located in Pornainen. The battery stores heat from renewable energy sources and supplies it to the local district heating network. Depending on the season, the stored heat lasts anywhere from a few days to several weeks.

The battery was commissioned in June 2025. Prior to the sand battery, the district heating network relied on wood chips as its primary energy source and oil as a backup. Now, roughly a year after the battery went into operation, the first data on its impact has been released: district heating emissions have dropped by 70 %, wood chip consumption has decreased by 60 %, and oil has not been used at all.

Pornainen Sand Battery. Photo by Green Net Finland (2026).

Next steps in the development of the energy and climate plan

The project is currently at the halfway point, and it will soon be time to review the energy and climate plans developed and updated by the other project partners. These plans offer an opportunity to identify further areas for development and integrate them into the plan for Pornainen. The draft plan is scheduled to be presented to the Municipal Board of Pornainen on October 19, 2026, to secure its approval. The next step involves sharing information with other municipalities about both the plan’s content and the monitoring tool developed.

In the spring of 2026, Green Net Finland interviewed residents about energy and climate topics at the Pornainen Spring Carnival. During the event, a list of proposed measures — jointly produced by the Enercracy project partners — was also presented, highlighting measures specifically suited to the municipality of Pornainen. The plan is to present the energy and climate plan in greater detail at the 2027 Spring Carnival, and to encourage residents to join the collective effort for a shared future and climate action.

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