Helen Electricity Network and Eltel Strengthen Cooperation: Renewable Diesel Extended Throughout the Subcontracting Chain
Helen Electricity Network and Eltel have agreed to expand the use of renewable HVO diesel to cover the entire subcontracting chain involved in network construction. The agreement, which came into effect at the beginning of 2026, supports both companies’ goals of reducing emissions at construction sites and advancing the management of supply chain-related Scope 3 emissions.
Helen Electricity Network is among the first Finnish network companies to extend renewable fuel requirements all the way to subcontractors involved in network construction. In practice, fossil diesel will be replaced with renewable HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) at worksites in machinery and vehicles used by both the main contractor and subcontractors.
“Our progress toward low-emission worksites has been steady and determined. Expanding the use of HVO diesel to Eltel’s worksites and subcontractors is a concrete step toward reducing total site emissions, especially supply chain emissions,” says Kalle Sato, Investment Manager at Helen Electricity Network.
Eltel has already transitioned to using HVO diesel in its own fleet at Helen Electricity Network’s worksites, and the same requirement now applies to its subcontractors.
“At Eltel, we are committed to continuously finding new ways to reduce the environmental impact of our operations. The introduction of HVO fuel and the transition to electric vehicles have been significant steps toward our emission targets, and this work continues,” says Liina Pihlak, Sustainability Manager at Eltel.
In 2025, Eltel drove nearly 700,000 kilometers on assignments for Helen Electricity Network using electric vehicles and renewable HVO diesel. Thanks to these low-emission choices, CO₂ emissions amounted to approximately 24 tonnes, whereas traditional fuels would have generated about 180 tonnes. In other words, low-emission solutions helped avoid around 158 tonnes of emissions in 2025.
More Detailed Emissions Calculations
Helen Electricity Network and Eltel are further developing emissions accounting for worksites and piloting low-emission site models, enabling more precise, site-specific tracking of fuel and equipment emissions. At the same time, additional ways to reduce emissions are being explored. This year, for example, a pilot involving a low-emission underground cable made from recycled metals will be launched.
In addition to HVO diesel, most passenger vehicles used by both Helen and Eltel are already fully electric, reducing emissions from worksite traffic and logistics.
Part of a Broader Green Deal Commitment
The Helen Group is committed to the Ministry of the Environment’s voluntary Green Deal agreement aimed at reducing emissions from construction sites. A significant share of site emissions stems from fuel consumption in machinery and transport vehicles. Depending on the manufacturer and feedstocks used, renewable HVO diesel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90 percent per liter compared with fossil diesel.
Helen includes Green Deal criteria in its procurement contracts, guiding contractors toward low-emission fuel and equipment solutions. The adoption of HVO diesel is part of a broader shift toward low-emission construction and maintenance practices.
These measures support both Helen Group’s Green Deal commitment and its Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) work, particularly in reducing Scope 3 emissions. Scope 3 emissions arise from activities such as contractors’ and subcontractors’ machinery, vehicles, and transport — operations not directly owned by the company but influenced through procurement and agreements.