Victaulic piping systems have been used in a waste heat recovery project at Ensto’s factory in Porvoo, Finland, linking industrial cooling demand with green district heating. The installation conveys excess heat through underground pipework to an on-site energy centre, where heat pumps and heat exchangers upgrade it for the Porvoon Energia district heating network. The project is expected to reduce annual energy use at Ensto’s production facility by up to 40%. Victaulic’s grooved mechanical joining system helped the partners meet a four-month commissioning deadline while avoiding welding in a live industrial environment.
Recovering Industrial Heat
Ensto designs and manufactures equipment for electrical distribution networks and has operated in Finland since the late 1950s. Its Porvoo project collects excess heat from production and transfers it to an energy centre, where it is recovered while meeting the site’s cooling requirements.
The resulting thermal energy is injected into the district heating network operated by Porvoon Energia, supplying low-carbon heat for buildings in the region. The installation offers a practical example of how industrial sites can contribute heat to local networks while reducing reliance on conventional heat generation and associated fuel use.
Johnny Holmström, general manager of general contractor IOTOI, said:
“The overall concept of the project is to combine the industrial demand for cooling with the demand for green district heating.”
Johnny Holmström, general manager of general contractor IOTOI, said:
“In Finland, we have a high demand for heating because the weather here is quite cold, and therefore district heating is a great system for integrating waste heat and other renewable heat sources.”
Installation Without Hot Works
Finnish district heating infrastructure was historically designed for very high supply temperatures. Improved efficiency in heat exchangers, pumps and buildings has brought Finland’s national design temperature down to 120°C, making it compatible with standard Victaulic products.
The project team selected grooved mechanical pipe joining to avoid hot works. Welding can require additional personal protective equipment, ventilation and fire-watch arrangements, adding time, cost and complexity to a project, particularly where production remains operational.
Johnny Holmström, general manager of general contractor IOTOI, said:
“Efficient piping installation was crucial for us in this project, because it allowed us to work while the industrial process was fully operational.”
Johnny Holmström, general manager of general contractor IOTOI, said:
“We chose Victaulic because of both the quality and the installation. We didn’t have to weld anything, and that was important because welding would have required special arrangements.”
Prefabrication Saves Site Time
The system covers ten heat pumps, internal distribution pipework and heating distribution systems. Victaulic’s Virtual Design and Construction department converted welded piping models into a prefabricated system using 3D modelling and Revit-based design tools.
With a complete model of the mechanical room and production facility, the pipework was prefabricated before being shipped to Finland. The approach saved nearly 700 installation hours on site, reduced labour requirements and simplified the installation of large DN300 overhead pipework.
Eric Nyblom, Victaulic sales engineer HVAC/Industry Finland, said:
“Commissioning had to be completed within four months of the project commencing, requiring extensive planning and coordination with all the parties involved prior to construction.”
Moritz Johannsson, owner of Refcon, said:
“Because it was prefabricated, we didn’t have to do many grooves on site, so it was mostly just installation.”
Circular Materials And Reuse
Victaulic said its products are made from up to 98% recycled content and designed to remain in use for the lifetime of the system. The couplings can also be opened and reused if pipework needs to be altered, supporting future changes to an industrial energy recovery installation.
The flame-free installation method also removed welding fumes from the work. For live industrial projects with tight schedules and strict safety requirements, that combination of prefabrication, reduced site work and reconfigurable components can make waste heat recovery systems more practical to install.
Eric Nyblom, Victaulic sales engineer HVAC/Industry Finland, said:
“Everything is flame-free and more sustainable for the installers, and that’s something we achieved very well on this project.”
A Local Model For Nordic Networks
The Porvoo installation brought together IOTOI, mechanical contractor Refcon, heat pump provider Energy Machines and Victaulic. Its progress shows how a local industrial facility can turn surplus heat into a district energy resource while maintaining production operations.
For Nordic energy networks, the project presents a scalable route for connecting industrial cooling needs with district heating demand. It also demonstrates the role that digital design and prefabricated pipework can play in delivering such systems within short construction programmes.
Eric Nyblom, Victaulic sales engineer HVAC/Industry Finland, said:
“I’m proud of the collaboration between local companies.”
