There is a growing need for electricity and other forms of energy worldwide, and simultaneously people are beginning to realize the environmental effects of energy production and to demand a wider usage of renewable and fossil-free forms of energy. Finland, too, is experiencing a rapid increase in new wind turbines. Wind power not only reduces carbon dioxide emissions in energy production, but also creates jobs and brings real estate tax income to municipalities. Being an expert of the entire life-cycle of wind farms, Suomen Hyötytuuli is a pioneer of local wind power.
Renewable – emission-free – local
Wind power is renewable and local energy. Its production does not produce emissions into air, water or soil. The use of wind power also increases Finland’s independence in energy production from imported fossil fuels and electricity.
The objective of the EU is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% of the level of 1990 by 2030 and to increase the proportion of renewable energy at least to 27%. The objective of the Carbon Neutral Finland program is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 95% of the level of 1990 by 2050. The national objective of produced wind power for 2025 is 9 TWh.
Suomen Hyötytuuli supports Finland’s climate objectives by actively producing and developing wind power and by investing in new wind farms. Yearly, our current wind farms produce approximately a total of 750 GWh, and the amount will rise up to 1.2 TWh in the next few years.
Technology
Wind power means using wind turbine generators to convert the kinetic energy from the wind, i.e. the air flow, into rotational energy of the axis, or mechanical energy, which in turn is converted into electricity in the wind turbine.
Wind power differs from traditional electricity generation mainly due to the time variation in its production. Wind power production varies daily according to the wind conditions, and therefore wind farms are built primarily in areas where the wind conditions are favourable.
Suomen Hyötytuuli actively utilises new technology in the wind power industry and supports research. We also do our own development work. For example, we developed and a new kind of earth-banked foundation for offshore wind turbine generators which makes use of the mass of the power station and the foundation. For the Tahkoluoto offshore wind farm we developed a system which uses radar technology and tracks bird populations moving in the area, and helps to minimize the wind turbines’ impacts on birdlife.
Cost-efficiency
External costs of wind power, i.e. extra costs to society and the environment, are the lowest of any energy forms. Therefore, wind power is the most cost effective of the current renewable forms of separate electricity production. Since the raw material, i.e. wind, is free and never ending, electricity production itself is inexpensive after the initial investments. Wind power technology and the efficiency of wind turbine generators is continuously improving and making wind power more and more cost-efficient.
A single person living in a studio apartment consumes 1,000 kWh of electricity per year.
A family of four in a detached home with electric heating uses 20 MWh of electricity per year.
One wind turbine produces about15,000 MWh of electricity per year, enough energy for about 750 detached homes with electric heating or 15,000 studio apartments.
Benefits of wind power
The benefits of wind power in achieving climate objectives are indisputable. In addition to the environmental benefits, our wind farm projects bring significant economic benefits to the surrounding communities.
We invest in long-term collaboration with landowners, and renting out land for wind power farms brings income from rents for landowners during the entire life-span of a wind turbine. The area can still be used for recreation. The roads built for construction and maintenance of wind farms benefit land owners in their forest management.
Our wind power projects create jobs for the residents of the community and of the surrounding areas. The construction phase of a wind power project provides jobs for professionals working in logistics and construction and brings new clients for local enterprises. The operation and maintenance of wind turbine generators requires long-term staff that can reach the location quickly.
We strive to become a visible agent in the wind farm communities. Wind power projects are often situated in small communities, which makes the significance of wind farms even greater. During all of their life-cycle the wind farms pay their communities real estate tax, the amount of which depends on the construction expenses of the wind farm, the capacity of the wind farm and the municipal tax rate. In addition, we invest in local hobbies for children and the young and offer a possibility to discover the wind power field as a career option.