Finland can rapidly build more wind power as electricity demand grows, according to Renewables Finland’s updated project portfolio. The latest project statistics show that nearly 69 gigawatts (GW) of new onshore and offshore wind capacity is currently being planned. A strong project pipeline is essential to ensuring that the clean and affordable electricity needed for industrial investments can be produced in Finland.
According to the latest project statistics, 386 onshore wind projects with a combined capacity of approximately 52.6 GW are currently being planned in Finland. Of these, nine projects (901 MW) are already under construction, while 42 projects (3.7 GW) have been granted building permits by municipalities. A total of 11 offshore wind projects (16 GW) are being planned in Finnish sea areas, two of which (880 MW) have completed the zoning process. While not all planned projects will be realised, the strong project pipeline gives Finland the capacity to rapidly increase electricity production as demand grows. In other words, Finland is not running out of electricity.
Renewable energy projects are significant domestic investments in their own right: the combined investment value of the onshore and offshore wind capacity currently being planned is approximately EUR 17 billion. The availability of electricity is also a key prerequisite for industrial electrification, as well as for new investments in data centres, hydrogen and e-fuels.
“Domestic electricity production is an integral part of Finland’s economic policy. Renewable energy already brings significant investment to Finland in its own right, but an even greater opportunity lies in the major industrial investments it can enable. Renewable energy can help rescue Finland’s economy: clean and affordable electricity can attract new investments to Finland, generating economic growth and strengthening our competitiveness,” says Anni Mikkonen, CEO of Renewables Finland.
Phasing out fossil fuels will increase the need for clean electricity in industry, transport and heating. Wind and solar power are the only affordable ways to increase electricity production quickly and at sufficient scale to meet growing demand.
“This past summer in Europe has once again reminded us of the impacts climate change has on the security of our everyday lives and of the need to reduce the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels will be replaced either through direct electrification or by using electricity-derived products such as hydrogen or methane. Either way, demand for clean electricity will be substantial, and in Finland, wind and solar power are the solution,” Mikkonen continues.
Nearly one-third of onshore wind projects planned for Northern Ostrobothnia
Most new onshore wind projects are being planned in western and northern Finland. Around 30% of all projects – 118 projects with a combined capacity of 17,271 MW – are located in Northern Ostrobothnia. The second-largest amount of capacity is planned for the southern parts of Lapland, where 43 projects with a combined capacity of 10,148 MW are in the pipeline. Central Finland ranks third in terms of planned capacity, with 35 projects totalling 4,302 MW.
Download the statistics on planned wind power projects
Explore the projects on the map
*AI was used to translate this press release*
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