Wind energy gets a boost in Finland
Covered with buyer credit cover
Finland has set itself ambitious targets: the northern European country wants to be climate-neutral by 2035 and CO₂-negative by 2040. The Finnish government is primarily pushing for the expansion of wind energy. With success, as Finland has recorded high growth rates in the wind energy sector in recent years. At the end of 2023, the total capacity of wind turbines in Finland was just under 7,000 megawatts - double the 2021 figure.
One of several wind farm projects is located in the Österbotten region around 500 km north-west of Helsinki. Three wind farms with a total of 31 wind turbines were built there in 2023: Merkkikallio, Puutikankangas and Rustari. They are part of the "Magna" project and have a total capacity of 170.5 megawatts. This means they can supply around 118,000 households with renewable energy.
The 240 metre high turbines were equipped for cold climates in accordance with the site conditions. In winter, the wind turbines are exposed to ice and frost due to the northern location of the Österbotten region. Layers of ice can therefore form on the rotor blades. De-icing systems ensure that the layers of ice are removed from the rotor blade surfaces.
The exporter for all three transactions was GE Wind Energy GmbH from Salzbergen. GE Energy Finland Oy is responsible for maintaining the turbines for 30 years. Kommunalkredit Austria AG provided the financing for the project, while the German federal government provided buyer credit cover.
Photos: ©GE Wind Energy GmbH, Salzbergen