Suomen Hyötytuuli supports Finnish Government’s offshore wind plans

The Finnish Government rejected the applications for exploitation rights concerning offshore wind power in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Gulf of Bothnia on 2 May 2024. Suomen Hyötytuuli was one of the companies that had submitted applications for exploitation rights. However, the company sees the Government’s decision as a right step towards ensuring that offshore wind in Finland is developed according to national interests.

Suomen Hyötytuuli welcomes the Finnish Government’s decision to subject the current EEZ regulation to a speedy reform. The legislative reform needs to ensure that offshore wind projects in the EEZ are treated equally with projects in territorial waters, in terms of exploitation rights, permit processes, access right compensation and taxation.

”Finland has a substantial offshore wind potential in the exclusive economic zone. To make the best use of it, we should introduce new project areas to the market in a controlled way,” says Esa Holttinen, Business Director at Suomen Hyötytuuli. ”Further site investigations and studies should be postponed until the specific areas allocated to offshore wind projects have been defined. This way, unnecessary burden to consultants and the authorities, as well as confusion among stakeholders, can be avoided. To ensure a sustainable path for the development of the Finnish offshore wind sector, there should not be too many projects in tendering process simultaneously.”

While the law preparation for the EEZ is under way, there are several offshore wind projects ongoing in the Finnish territorial waters. The most advanced of these is Suomen Hyötytuuli’s Tahkoluoto Extension project, which consists of forty 15+ megawatt turbines and is expected to be built in 2027–2029. The demonstration phase for the Extension was granted water permits and building permits in December 2023.

The Tahkoluoto Extension demonstration phase has received funding from EU’s NextGenerationEU.

For further information:

Business Director Esa Holttinen, esa.holttinen(at)hyotytuuli.fi, +358 44 760 8477

Suomen Hyötytuuli Oy is a Finnish renewable energy production company and a pioneer in offshore wind power. It is owned by eight city energy companies in Finland. The company has seven wind farms in operation and three under construction. It develops, plans and builds wind farms and operates them through its partner network. The Tahkoluoto Extension project continues Suomen Hyötytuuli’s investments in offshore and onshore wind power.