Energy transition requires close cooperation - "Industrial investments will not come to us automatically."

“Industrial investments can bring hundreds of jobs to the Tampere region, but doing so requires active and fast cross-municipal cooperation,” says Tuomas Vanhanen, Program Manager for Reco Energy project.

The energy transition in the Tampere region is progressing. The latest milestone was reached at the end of November in Lielahti, where a 100-megawatt electric boiler plant was inaugurated for the needs of Tampere Energy’s district heating network. With this, heat production based on affordable electricity increased to a total capacity of 145 megawatts. The entire Tampere region’s electricity demand is only four times larger.

The next likely step is the utilisation of biogenic carbon dioxide. The flue gases from the Tarastenjärvi waste-to-energy plant and the new Naistenlahti 3 power plant contain valuable biogenic raw material. The recycling of energy and raw materials represents a major opportunity for the Tampere region, both in terms of investments and job creation.

The international climate conference COP30 in Belém, Brazil, demonstrated that there remains a strong global willingness to invest in the green transition. Industrial investments can bring hundreds of jobs to the Tampere region, but this requires active and fast cooperation across municipal boundaries.

According to advisors to industrial companies, the adequacy of the electricity grid and access to affordable energy are the second most important factors when companies assess potential investment locations. The single most important factor is the availability of ready-to-build industrial land. This is why it is crucial for the city region to jointly identify the most suitable locations for future investments.

Industrial investments will not come to us automatically. Competition for them is at least European in scale. Active dialogue is needed between residents, local communities, landowners, decision-makers and companies in order to attract new jobs and investments to the Tampere region, and more broadly, to Pirkanmaa and Finland.

The electric boilers and heat storage facilities inaugurated in Lielahti are part of the new circular energy infrastructure that will enable jobs and economic success in the coming years and decades. The next steps will build on this excellent groundwork.

Business Tampere at Hydrogen Summit & Expo 2026

The discussion and themes related to the Tampere Region’s energy transition will continue in January at Hydrogen Summit & Expo 2026. This is the leading hydrogen value chain event in Northern Europe and the Baltic region, bringing together key stakeholders to discuss, share insights and advance both ongoing and upcoming hydrogen projects. Business Tampere’s own Hydrogen Hills Lounge will serve as a meeting and discussion space for all actors working within the hydrogen economy