Wind Power News: Finland
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Finland’s largest wind park opens on west coast
A project billed as Finland’s biggest wind energy development was formally opened on Tuesday in Kalajoki. The Mustilankangas park includes 28 wind turbines in a 1500 hectare area. Its owner, TuuliWatti, estimates that it will generate enough electricity annually to power 140,000 flats or 20,000 detached houses. TuuliWatti is co-owned by the nation’s largest retailer, S-Group, and St1, which operates a chain of petrol stations along with other energy interests. The park lies 30 km south of the site of . . . Complete story »
Stop romanticizing Arctic development, say indigenous leaders
The installation of renewable energy like wind turbine farms is wreaking havoc across Sapmi, the traditional Saami homeland that stretches from Arctic Norway through Sweden and Finland and into northwestern Russia. In Sweden and in Norway these windfarms have destroyed traditional reindeer grazing lands and caused mental and financial issues for the Saami that rely on the animals to make a living. Even today, companies like Fred. Olsen Renewables are planning 72 wind turbines in important grazing and calving lands for the Norwegian reindeer herding districts of Åarjel-Njaarke and Voengelh Njaarke. Despite Saami opposition, the project has been approved by authorities. Complete story »
Keräsen Tuulivoiman uhri palkittiin Ihminen ja luontosarjan parhaana
Porilainen luontokuvaaja Seppo Keränen otti Tuulivoiman uhrikuvan Porin Peittoossa 29.11.2014. Porilaisen luontokuvaajan Seppo Keräsen kuva Tuulivoiman uhri voitti Vuoden Luontokuvakilpailun Ihminen ja luontosarjan. Keränen kuvasi tuulivoimalan lapoihin murskautuneen merikotkan marraskuussa 2014 Porin Peittoossa. www.vuodenluontokuva.fi Complete story »
Finns try to stop wind farms affecting TV, mobile reception
The Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority (Ficora) said it is cooperating with energy and telecommunications operators to counter the adverse effects of wind power parks on television reception, mobile networks, radio links and radars. The aim is to resolve the problems by agreeing on the division of responsibilities and, thus, to avoid introducing new legislation. Ficora has established a working group consisting of companies and organisations in the energy sector, telecommunications operators, as well as other authorities. The purpose is to . . . Complete story »
Two 14-year-old wind turbines to be junked
The two wind turbines operating in Uusikaupunki will be dismantled next week, energy company Propel Voima announced on Friday. The windmills produced electricity from 1999, but repairing them is not worth the investment due to funding concerns. The demolision of two wind power turbines in Hangonsaari, in Uusikaupunki is set to begin next week. The turbines will disappear within two weeks of the start of dismantling. The two units, owned and operated by Propel Voima, have produced wind power since . . . Complete story »
Wind farm investment plunges with power prices in Nordic region
Investors are pulling back from wind farms in Nordic nations as the lowest electricity prices in 12 years cut the profitability of new projects. No wind farms were commissioned in Sweden in the second quarter, compared to 50 megawatts in the same period a year earlier, according to the nation’s wind association. Investment in utility-scale Nordic wind assets fell 76 percent to $1.2 billion in the three years through 2014, according to data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “The low . . . Complete story »
Finland to get less wind power as govt overhauls subsidies
Finland’s government proposed setting a November 2017 deadline for granting subsidies to wind power plants as applications exceeded a previously set capacity limit. The decision, if approved by the parliament, would mean the end of the existing feed-in tariff system in Finland, and follows a decision by Britain to scrap all new subsidies for onshore wind from next April. “The present system can no longer be considered a sufficiently cost-effective and market-oriented incentive system,” Finland’s Ministry of Employment and Economy . . . Complete story »
Finland “shuts door” on new wind farms
Finland’s incoming government has effectively “shut the door” on new wind farms by reducing the ceiling for projects that can qualify for feed-in support by almost 500 MW, the Finnish Energy Industries Association said on Thursday. “We understand that the government wants to reduce the subsidies to save costs but we very much object that it is changing a target that has already been set as it creates uncertainty for investors,” Jukka Leskelä, head of power generation at the lobby group, . . . Complete story »
New methods to study sound generated by wind power plants
A new two-year research project on sound produced by wind power plants was launched at Lappeenranta University of Technology, LUT, in May. In the study, the formation and dissemination of sound from wind power generators, and people’s experiences of it in Finnish climatic conditions, will be modelled and experimented with. The aim is to identify annoying features of wind power plants form the point of view of people living near them. To help in identification, a real-time feedback system and . . . Complete story »
Wind farm noise-limit regulation reform
Regulations and circumstances Wind power is the fastest-growing form of energy production in Finland; the total amount of installed wind energy is growing at a rate of 40% per year. However, one major hindrance to the development of wind farm projects is the environmental effects and noise emissions caused to surrounding residential areas. This has slowed municipal planning processes and delayed or even cancelled some projects. There are no existing regulations specific to the noise limits applicable to wind farms; . . . Complete story »
