Swedish developer Eolus Vind is investigating the prerequisites for constructing two offshore wind farms in the Bothnian Sea offshore Finland.
Eolus has applied for permission to the Finnish government to investigate the conditions for establishing offshore wind power projects located in Finland’s exclusive economic zone.
Permission for the investigation is expected within the coming year. One of the sea areas is located 90 kilometres from the coast off Pori, and the other 30 kilometres from the coast off Merikarvia.
The total capacity of the two offshore wind farms is 3.5 GW, which means 14-16 terawatt hours (TWh) of renewable electricity for the Finnish electricity grid annually. In 2021, 8.1 TWh of electricity was produced with wind power in Finland.
The capacity of the Wellamo offshore wind farm planned offshore Pori is estimated to have an annual production capacity of approximately 2 GW. The capacity of the Tuulia offshore wind farm planned for the area off Merikarvia will be 1.5 GW.
”For Wellamo Offshore, we are investigating the prerequisites for implementation of the wind farm in areas of approximately 1,000 square kilometres, and for Tuulia Offshore in areas of 670 square kilometres. The number of turbines planned for the wind farms is approximatley 100 in each, but the final number is influenced by both more detailed plans and the size of the turbines to be selected,” said Project Manager Anu Vaahtera from Eolus.
The wind farms are expected to be commissioned during the 2030s.
Next Steps
The construction of offshore wind farms requires an environmental impact assessment (EIA), during which Eolus investigates the direct and indirect impacts of the projects. An integral part of the EIA process is an active discussion, for example, with local residents.
”We want to find the best possible solutions. Through research and surveys, we ensure that offshore wind power plants do not cause significant harm to, for example, local residents, businesses or local nature,” said Vahtera.
The EIA will start at the end of 2022, and Eolus estimates that the process will take two years. The projects require several permits granted by the authorities before the government can make a final decision on the implementation of the projects.
Eolus Vind has earlier this year submitted applications to develop three offshore wind farms in the Polish Baltic Sea with a combined capacity of around 3.3 GW.
The company is also investigating the conditions for an offshore wind farm in northern Kattegat in the territorial sea and Sweden’s economic zone. This project would feature up to 50 wind turbines with a total height of up to 320 metres.