Room for hundreds of windmills in Finland
Finland has a much greater capacity for wind power than previously thought. A new wind survey shows that even inland areas could support windmills – but this is likely to spark argument of where the towering, noisy turbines should be placed.
The government’s official goal is to increase the use of wind power in Finland by twentyfold in the next ten years. According to a wind-mapping project by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, this is technically possible, even further away from windy coastlines.
“In inland areas, if you build modern turbines high enough, it’s as windy as it is on the coast,” says the FMI’s development manager Bengt Tammelin.
FMI plans to open its wind-mapping data to the public online on Thursday.
The government supports the construction of hundreds of windmills. But heated arguments are expected to erupt over the placement of wind power parks. Many say they ruin scenic landscapes and cause too much noise.
YLE Uutiset
25 November 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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