Sotkan Voima Oy and Nevel Oy are establishing a joint venture to take responsibility for the production, distribution, customer service and development of district heating in the Municipality of Sotkamo. The new company – Sotkamon energia – will begin operations in the first half of 2026. Sotkan Voima, which is owned by the Municipality of Sotkamo, will hold a 46% stake in the company with Nevel holding the remaining 54%.
The project aims to develop Sotkamo’s district heating in a sustainable and competitive manner through a new operating model. The new company will provide comprehensive management of district heating. The goal is to improve supply and maintenance security, enable investments in new technologies such as electrification and ultimately create a pathway toward responsible, carbon-neutral energy production.
Planned investments in, for example, heat pumps and electric boilers will make district heating competitive and fit for the long term while reducing CO2 emissions in a sustained way. At the same time, heat production capacity will increase, providing better conditions for the expansion of local businesses and for new customers. In particular, positive impacts on the municipality’s vitality and growth are expected in the Vuokatti area. An operational review of the Salmelantie power plant indicates that the facility can continue to operate for a further 15 years. The plant’s heat production capacity is 60 GWh per year.
“The newly established company strengthens Sotkamo’s energy self-sufficiency and provides us with the means to develop heat production responsibly and efficiently. By combining our expertise, we can benefit from modern technology and provide secure, competitive district heating for future needs,” says Sami Vartiainen, CEO of Sotkan Voima.
“For Nevel, the partnership is a step towards smart, electrified and carbon-neutral heat production. Together with Sotkan Voima we can accelerate technological investments and bring additional capacity to meet the area’s growing needs,” says Thomas Luther, CEO of Nevel.
The joint venture will not result in any immediate changes for customers, and heat distribution will continue as normal.
For more information:
Thomas Luther, CEO, Nevel, +358 40 534 4256
Sami Vartiainen, CEO, Sotkan Voima, +358 40 588 1438
About Sotkan Voima
Sotkan Voima Oy is an energy company owned by the municipality of Sotkamo, established in 2023. Its main business is the production and distribution of energy through its own district heating network in the Sotkamo and Vuokatti areas.
About Nevel
Nevel is a utility infrastructure company offering advanced industrial and real estate infrastructure solutions that are fit-for-purpose and future-proof. Committed to climate-positive growth, Nevel drives societal impact by co-creating local circular economies and driving transformation to CO2 carbon-neutral energy production. Nevel serves almost 100 industrial and over 5,000 real estate customers with decentralised energy and circular economy solutions. The company operates more than 130 energy production sites and manages over 40 district heating networks. Nevel has an annual turnover of EUR 150 million, and employs 190 experts in Finland, Sweden and Estonia.
New joint venture to develop Sotkamo’s future-proof district heating.