Demolition Underway at Viinikanlahti Plant as Hatanpää Digesters Come Down
Demolition of the Viinikanlahti wastewater treatment plant is underway: northern buildings and the tall Hatanpää digesters are being taken down as phased work continues through 2027, clearing the way for a new waterfront neighbourhood.
According to a Tampereen Vesi press release distributed via ePressi, work is proceeding in phases; the first buildings at the Viinikanlahti site’s northern end have already been taken down. The large circular digester buildings along Hatanpää Road are among the first structures to disappear from the cityscape.
Preparatory work began in March, with trees felled and fencing erected around the area. Hazardous materials were removed from structures before the main demolition phase started, Aamulehti reported. Yle reported that demolition began on Thursday near the shore of Pyhäjärvi, with heavy machinery focused on removing the plant’s chemical-handling buildings. Tampereen Vesi’s CEO Juha Rintamäki expects the tall digesters to be taken down soon.
Preparations and early demolition work have proceeded smoothly. After the plant’s November closure, crews cleaned large unused basins, helping to avoid major odour problems at the start of demolition.
There are many buildings and installations to be dismantled; Tampereen Vesi estimates demolition will continue through the end of 2027. The contract was awarded to Ahosen Palvelut Oy, with Tampereen Vesi acting as the client. Demolition will produce a variety of recyclable and other waste materials to be sent for processing. The utility warns of temporarily increased truck traffic around the site. Work will take place on weekdays between 07:00 and 20:00, and residents closest to the site have been notified; intermittent noise is expected.
Yle notes that the demolition area is located next to ongoing tramway construction between Sorin aukio and Partola. The Viinikanlahti plant has served Tampere since 1972. Its removal clears the way for new construction along the Hatanpäänranta shore, and the City of Tampere, as property owner, will oversee the area’s redevelopment and long-term change to the waterfront. Plans call for a new waterfront neighbourhood for roughly 3,000 residents, with park areas built on filled land over part of the current lake. Tampereen Vesi estimates total demolition costs at about €7 million and says the full Viinikanlahti neighbourhood is not expected to be ready before 2035.
Catch the full story over at ePressi
