Sirkkala Energy Park –a learning, RD&I and service environment for bioeconomy

Sirkkala Energy Park is a research, demonstration and educational platform which promotes both national and regional development goals to increase know-how, production and use of renewable energy. The Energy Park collaborates with enterprises and increases their knowledge on energy solutions with joint RD&I work. It improves stakeholders’ ability to adapt to changes in construction and energy system regulations. It produces actual cost structures of renewable energy production and maintenance, as well as creates synergies between enterprises, education and research.

Sirkkala Energy Park is a real-life R&D environment at Karelia University of Applied Sciences. It is located near the campus area offering an accessible learning and benchmarking environment for students and visitors. Sirkkala Energy Park provides a large set of technical solutions for testing and development, such as: mobile Volter CHP unit with real-time monitoring, combined wood log/pellet boiler, nano CHP pellet boiler system, large collection of solar collectors and panels, wood fuel dryer and a wide variety of laboratory equipment and analysers.

Sirkkala Energy Park is owned by Karelia University of Applied Sciences. It was created in three ERDF co-funded projects. Two of them were investment projects and one was a development project. The latter one drew up a plan for equipment maintenance and integration of teaching and research into the activities as well as a business plan for Sirkkala Energy Park.