Arriving in the Vuosaari harbor area of Helsinki, one might expect the first sight to be an endless landscape of shipping containers, conveyors and cranes. That is why, for a first‑time visitor, the striking and architecturally impressive Paulig coffee roastery — completed in 2009 and a true masterpiece of metal construction — stands out even more. And best of all, the inviting aroma of freshly roasted coffee makes it a rather pleasant place to leave your car charging.
Known for its strong brands, the Paulig Group is also recognized for its commitment to sustainability. Paulig has taken another step toward more sustainable operations by expanding the electric vehicle charging area at its Vuosaari roastery. Plugit Finland Oy was selected through a competitive tendering process to deliver the project, as Plugit’s comprehensive service model met Paulig’s requirements.
We met Paulig’s Property and Security Manager, Timo Tuukkanen, and Plugit’s Account Manager, Veli-Pekka Härkönen, on a chilly late-spring Friday at the new charging area. “At Plugit, we’re always excited when new charging stations are completed,” Härkönen says, continuing: “Many people don’t always realize what a complex process can lie behind a successful charging project. With us, customers don’t need to have expertise in electrical engineering, infrastructure construction or long-term operation. And they don’t need to worry about how to keep the entire system running year after year.
Plugit’s project model for charging solutions provides customers with a clear, end‑to‑end service covering everything from planning and installation to ongoing maintenance and management. This enables customers to achieve an efficient and predictable charging infrastructure safely and sustainably far into the future.
Paulig values expertise
“At Paulig, we are not experts in EV charging, and we are more than happy to place our investment in Plugit’s capable hands,” says Timo Tuukkanen. “The fact that we now have around a hundred charging points on our site and that our company cars can charge responsibly is truly fantastic and a great continuation of the energy efficiency project launched at the Vuosaari roastery back in 2014, through which we have succeeded in reducing the roastery’s CO₂ emissions by 98 percent. Not bad, considering that the facility produces 100 million coffee packages a year.”
Electric mobility on a large scale is still only at the beginning of its journey, but the development clearly points toward a future where fossil fuels will no longer be used for driving. “It’s important to remember that for companies offering employees company cars or full car benefits, it will ultimately be more cost‑effective to invest properly in charging and to charge vehicles where they are parked,” says Tuukkanen.
“Exactly — either at the workplace or at home,” Härkönen responds, continuing: “The total cost can be very low, depending on the electricity contracts. And for Paulig employees who drive more, Plugit also provides access to public high‑power charging, where payment is made with the same app or tag that is used at work or at home. Plugit’s cloud service takes care of the rest, meaning any temporary charging costs are automatically reimbursed to the driver.”
A sincere recommendation for Plugit
Would you recommend Plugit to your colleagues? “Yes, absolutely. Plugit was not the cheapest option in our tender, but it was clearly the most comprehensive, and their project team was exceptionally skilled and hardworking. The solution has worked flawlessly. We are also very pleased to support a Finnish company.”
