Nordic developer OX2 has signed a deal to buy the about 150MW Metsälamminkangas in the western Finnish region of Ostrobothnia from Finnish peer LähiTuuli.
“Metsälamminkangas is one of the largest wind power projects in Finland. It will strengthen our position as a leading wind power player in the Nordic countries,” said Teemu Loikkanen, regional manager, Finland and the Baltics, at OX2.
“We’ve already begun tenders with suppliers and started negotiations on a power purchase agreement and funding. Our aim is to be able to start construction next spring, meaning the turbines could be installed in summer 2021.”
The wind power expansion is Finland could speed up as a new government has pledged to make the country CO2 neutral by 2030.
At the end of 2018 Finland’s wind power capacity had reached 2.04GW, and there were 698 wind turbines. Last year, wind power met approximately 7% of electricity demand and constituted approximately 9% of all electricity generated.
The project based in Vaala, around 120km southeast of Oulu, is slated to provide green power for about 80,000 homes.
The project has planning permission as part of the area’s general plan, allowing 24 wind turbines to be built. The highest wind turbine will be approximately 230 metres high, and the land on which the turbines will be built is privately owned.
The Metsälamminkangas wind farm will be connected to the national grid, Fingrid, via the Vuolijoki substation through an expansion of 32km of the existing 110kW section of the grid.