Page 56: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Mar/Apr 2026)

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QUIET ENERGY POWERHOUSES FINLAND’S VAASA INDUSTRY CLUSTER © Amir Garanovic peak Nordic winter demand.

VAASA - WHERE THE ENERGY TRANSI-

The approach refects a broader mindset visible across the

TION IS INDUSTRIAL, NOT ABSTRACT region - rather than discarding existing assets, Vaasa’s ener-

What stands out in Vaasa is how seamlessly industry, re- gy companies are fnding ways to adapt them into fexible, search and policy intersect. Within a short distance, it is pos- sible to move from conference discussions on grid resilience, low-carbon systems. It is a pragmatic path that may resonate with other industrial regions facing similar challenges.

circular economy and hydrogen markets to large-scale indus-

The same system-wide thinking is evident at companies trial facilities where those ideas are being tested and deployed.

At Wärtsilä’s Sustainable Technology Hub, considered such as Danfoss Drives and VEO. In Vaasa, Danfoss de- a ‘crown jewel’ of the industrial area, the focus is frmly velops and manufactures high-power AC drives and power on decarbonization of both marine and energy systems. conversion modules used across energy, marine and indus-

The facility operates as a collaborative platform, bringing trial applications, helping customers improve effciency and together engineers, customers, partners and researchers to reduce emissions. VEO, meanwhile, delivers electrifcation develop and test solutions, including engines designed for and automation solutions across renewable energy, power sustainable fuels. It is a reminder that the transition is not generation and industrial processes, with more than three- quarters of its projects directly tied to the energy transition.

only about new technologies, but also about adapting ex-

Alongside industrial visits, the discussions at Energy- isting industrial capabilities to new energy realities.

Week reinforced how these technologies ft into a broader

Elsewhere in the city, Vaasan Voima’s Vaskiluoto site of- fers a striking example of how legacy infrastructure can be systems shift. Sessions covered not only generation and repurposed. What was once a combined heat and power storage, but also energy system fexibility, resilience, digi- talization and the integration of renewables into existing and oil-storage site has been transformed into a high- temperature thermal energy storage system, designed to grids - areas increasingly critical for offshore wind expan- integrate renewable electricity into district heating. With sion and electrifcation of industry. a planned capacity of 17 GWh and supported by electric

A HAPPIER COUNTRY - BUILT TO boilers totaling 220 MW, the system demonstrates how

ENDURE, ADAPT AND OVERCOME surplus renewable power can be converted into long-du-

What makes Vaasa distinct is not just the scale of its en- ration heat, reducing reliance on combustion even during 56 OFFSHORE ENGINEER OEDIGITAL.COM