Investments in solar and electric energy bring jobs and vitality

In addition to being a border crossing point, Pelkola in Imatra is also a well-known of the steel company. Ovako, which turns 110 this year. The 15 million euro investment in the steel mill's rough rolling mill, which is nearing completion, will increase the mill's production capacity and is Ovako Imatra's largest investment in over 30 years.

Areas are also being planned for new energy sector operators in the Ovako neighborhood. Norwegian Freija AS is planning a plant on a 13-hectare area that would produce e-methane using electricity and bio-based carbon dioxide. The plant would be connected to the Finnish and European natural gas grid. The e-methane it produces is intended to be distributed to heavy traffic as a substitute for fossil natural gas. The plant could be operational by 2031.

Another Norwegian company that has made a plot reservation in Pelkola is Norsk e-Fuel. The company's goal is to produce synthetic aviation fuel 80 tons per year in the region. The production already has buyers from the airline Norwegian and the freight company Cargolux. The City of Imatra and Norsk-e-Fuel have signed a reservation agreement for a total of approximately 20 hectares of land in the immediate vicinity of the Ovako steel mill. In addition, the agreement includes an option for another area of ​​almost the same size. The area's zoning plan amendment is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2026.

In Teppanala Finnish Nordic Nano Group's lease agreement will begin at the beginning of September in the premises of the former Laplandia supermarket.

- The plan is to start operations at the end of the year, as long as the necessary changes to the premises can start from September and are completed, says Nordic Nano Group's CEO Esa Parjanen.

The company will launch pre-series production of non-toxic batteries and innovative solar coatings later this year, strengthening its production and chemistry expertise. Recruitment of line workers is scheduled to begin in summer 2026. The first phase will employ 20–30 people, but hundreds of jobs could be created in the coming years.

Also 3Flash Solar Oyis planning two solar power plants in Linnakoski and Virasoja. The Linnakoski power plant already has a construction permit, but a final investment decision has not yet been made.

- The Virasoja project is being prepared in terms of zoning. The natural goal is to proceed as soon as the financing negotiations are concluded. The new normal in the energy sector is that market situations vary and we have to adapt to changes. We believe that the outlook will improve and investment decisions will be made in the coming years, the company's CEO Miko Huomo says.

Energy-efficient and environmentally friendly heat is produced in Imatra

Imatran Lämpö Oy and Stora Enso Imatra Mills have a waste heat project, where heat generated in forest industry processes is recovered and utilized in the production of district heat. Using waste heat diversifies Imatra's district heat production and supports the production
low emissions and helps control costs, ensuring a more stable district heating price.

A new district heating pipeline, over five kilometers long, from Virasoja to Kaukopää was completed in November 2024. The phased commissioning of the heat pump plant located in the factory area culminated in late April 2025, when the plant began feeding heat into the network.

- District heating has been produced through the new plant all summer, and therefore the Virasoja plant has not been used at all in June and July, says the CEO of the heating company. Vesa-Pekka Vainikka.

The new heat pump plant will replace more than half of Imatran Lämpö's wood purchases – it is equivalent in energy to about a thousand truckloads per year.

At the mill, the project makes it easier to control wastewater temperature, which reduces environmental impact.