OP Real Estate News

Buildings managed by OP Real Estate Asset Management switch to hydroelectricity

04.2.2020

The buildings managed by OP Real Estate Asset Management Ltd switch to using hydroelectricity starting on 1 January 2020. OP Real Estate Asset Management manages real estate such as over 5,500 rental apartments trough the OP-Rental Yield fund. Using hydroelectricity reduces carbon dioxide emissions and supports OP’s strategy to become carbon neutral by 2025.
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As the buildings managed by OP Real Estate Asset Management switch to using hydroelectricity produced by Oulun Energia, it reduces carbon dioxide emissions by over 10,200 tonnes. It is equivalent to driving a passenger car for over 64 million kilometres, which in turn is the same as driving around the Earth over 1,600 times. These figures are based on the average carbon dioxide emissions of passenger cars in traffic use in mainland Finland, which is 157.6 g/km. 

“Responsibility is an important value to OP and we seek to promote it with both big and small actions. Switching to hydroelectricity supports sustainable development and mitigates climate change. We want to do our part in increasing the use of renewable energy in our buildings and reducing overall carbon dioxide emissions,” says Property Manager Matti Puromäki from OP Real Estate Asset Management Ltd.

The hydroelectricity is produced by Oulun Energia at the Merikoski hydro power plant, which has the electrical output of 40 megawatts. Finland’s longest fishway, and the only fishway in the Oulujoki river, was build to the Merikoski hydro power plant. Thanks to this fishway, salmon and other migratory fish can reach a 40-kilometre stretch of the Oulujoki river’s mainstream up to the power plant in Montta, and swim to the tributaries of the Oulujoki river. Environmentally friendly solutions and supporting the vitality of local communities is of primary importance to OP.



Additional information:

Matti Puromäki
Property Manager
OP Real Estate Asset Management Ltd
Tel. +358 10 252 5085, Mob. +358 40 838 1037
matti.puromaki@op.fi