Page 40 - European Energy Innovation magazine - spring 2023 edition

Spring 2023 European Energy Innovation
40 FINNISH WIND POWER

the cumulative wind power capacity project developers and to plan and
to total of 5,7 GW. According to the build the grid beforehand. Even
statistics of WindEurope, Finland though Fingrid has speeded up their
was one of the top three European investment plans there is scarcity
countries on capacity installed in of grid availability in some parts of
2022. Based on the investment Finland.
decisions made, it can be said that in
2026 wind power will already cover Thanks to rapid technological
a third of the country's electricity development, since 2017 wind power
consumption. has been the cheapest electricity
production method in Finland. The
In the big picture one of the wind speed in Finland is not as
key drivers in the wind power strong as for instance in the UK but
development and green transition in the project developers are allowed to
Finland is the ambitious target to be use the state-of-the-art technology
carbon neutral by 2035. The target that lowers the costs and makes
means electrification of industry, the projects feasible. In the planning
heating, and transportation. In the and permitting the future tip and
winter 2023 Finland also set the hub heights are used. For example,
target to produce at least 10 % of the in a spatial planning process that is
EU’s hydrogen targets. started today the tip height of 350
meters is typically used.
The brutal Russian war in Ukraine
has also meant a need to increase There is no such turbine in the
the energy independence of Finland. market yet. But it does not matter as
Growing amount of clean electricity is one is always allowed to construct a
needed to fulfil these targets. smaller turbine than defined in the
spatial plan. The developer does not
The keys to success have to specify the actual turbine
One important key to success has type in the permitting either – it
been the fact that Finland has got is enough that the environmental
one of the best TSOs in the Europe. impacts of the chosen turbine type
The TSO, Fingrid, is proactive and does not exceed the ones defined in
keen on having discussions with the permit.

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