Towards Carbon-Free Energy Use: Kiilto’s Journey with Calefa for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
Kiilto is targeting carbon-free energy use by 2028, a goal being realized one step at a time at its Lempäälä facility. With Calefa’s support, the use of natural gas for facility heating has nearly been eliminated, and waste heat from processes has been effectively repurposed.
Geothermal Energy Survey Uncovers Multiple Opportunities for Efficiency
In 2017, when Kiilto explored the potential of geothermal energy, Calefa offered a comprehensive solution, implementing multiple energy projects, one at a time. Kiilto’s Technical Manager, Vesa Juhannusvuori, has seen the entire progression of this collaboration.
“For over 20 years, Kiilto has sought to build leadership in environmental matters. This ambition led us to begin our partnership with Calefa in 2017,” Juhannusvuori explains.
Phase 1: Geothermal Energy and Process Cooling in 2018
The first joint project was a hybrid plant launched in 2018, which utilized both geothermal and waste process heat for facility heating. Additionally, the process heat from adhesive manufacturing was stored in ground wells, optimizing geothermal efficiency and increasing production capacity.
Prior to the project, heating at Kiilto’s Lempäälä plant required approximately 4000 MWh of natural gas annually. The hybrid system combining geothermal and process cooling reduced natural gas consumption by 30%.
Phase 2: Expanding Waste Heat Utilization in 2019
Encouraged by the success of the initial project, Kiilto expanded waste heat recovery for facility heating. In the second project with Calefa, a system similar to the first was used to capture waste heat from hot-melt adhesive production. With a COP efficiency rating of 4, the heat pump system implemented in 2019 further reduced natural gas usage by over half.
The second system resulted in annual energy savings of €150,000 and a reduction of 500 tons of CO2 emissions.
Phase 3: Establishing a Shared Energy Ecosystem with Lempäälän Lämpö in 2022
By 2022, most of the energy generated from adhesive production at Kiilto’s Lempäälä facility was being used for facility heating. During summer, however, waste heat exceeded Kiilto’s own needs. By connecting to Lempäälän Lämpö’s district heating network, Kiilto began supplying this excess heat through Calefa’s AmbiHeat system.
“In the summer of 2023, we operated as the district heating provider for the Sääksjärvi area, supplying up to 1800 MWh of heat produced from outdoor air and process cooling,” says Juhannusvuori.
With this district heating network connection, Kiilto can also use heat generated by Lempäälän Lämpö during winter as a complement to its waste heat recovery.
“This is truly a win-win situation for all parties,” Juhannusvuori remarks.
A Long-Term Partnership Leading to Near-Zero Natural Gas Use
The outcome of this extended partnership is evident in both the environmental and operational efficiency improvements at Kiilto. Waste heat now warms the facility and local district heating customers’ homes, while the enhanced cooling process has enabled production capacity growth.
Since 2017, Kiilto has nearly eliminated natural gas use for heating at its Lempäälä facility, requiring it only on exceptionally cold days.
The collaboration with Calefa has been highly successful, with trust built from the first project onward. Today, the partnership continues with Calefa providing maintenance through its CalefaCare service.
“The projects carried out with Calefa have been extremely beneficial for Kiilto, and the collaboration has been smooth from the very start,” says Juhannusvuori.
