Wind Energy in Finland
2022 wind energy numbers
In Finland, 2022 signified a year where the overall capacity of wind power installations was drastically increased. Within the year, an additional 2,430 MW was installed, which represents a 74% increase in installed capacity compared to the year before. This brings the total Finnish wind capacity to a total of 5,677 MW at the end of 2022 [1]. The consumption of power in Finland in the year of 2022 equated to a total of 82 TWh which constitutes a decrease of 6% compared to the consumption in 2021, with 86.5 TWh representative of pre-pandemic consumption levels. The decline was largely induced by the geopolitical context of the Ukrainian war, which disrupted energy cooperation with Russia since May 2022.
To learn more about Finland’s wind energy sector, please read their chapter in the IEA Wind TCP 2022 Annual Report.
National Targets
Finland’s climate policy is primarily enacted by the national Climate Act, which as of the 1st of July 2022, has put a range of new targets into action. The Climate Act aims to reduce carbon emissions by 60% by the year 2030, 80% by 2040, and 90% by 2050, however with an aspirational target of 95% by 2050. These reductions are all relative to the emissions levels of 1990. Furthermore, the new Act stands by its objective to reach carbon neutrality by 2035 [3].
The 2022 government policies relating to the climate and energy strategy provide support for demonstration projects regarding new renewable energy projects [4]. The approximate annual budget for this purpose is 150 million EUR (168 million USD) [5].
Progress & Operational Details
The Nordex-Acciona N163 machines installed in Karhunevankangas are a typical example of wind turbines installed in Finland. The turbines feature a 5.7MW power rating, span 163 m in diameter and have a hub height of 159 m. The average of newly installed turbines in Finland now have on average a diameter of 159 m and 146 m hub height [1]. Figure 1. Development of wind power capacity and production in Finland. The wind power index gives the yearly generation compared to the long-term average (100%) provided by the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI).
In 2022, the average capacity factor was 33.2%, which is comparable to the average of the period between 2018 and 2022, namely 32.9%. Similarly, the 2022 wind power index remained closely aligned with the long-term average of 1.00, as shown in Figure 1 [7].
National RDD Priorities and Budget
The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, Business Finland (BF), continues to fund research and innovation in the country. Wind power is aligned with the key aspects of sustainability and economic growth, which define the Business Finland strategy for 2025.
Government ambition in wind R&D includes offshore wind demonstration in the Baltic Sea, where the effect of seasonal ice cover needs to be fully understood. In coordination with this goal, the implementation of at least one offshore wind demonstration project will be supported. In this context Suomen Hyötytuuli has received 30 million EUR (33 million USD) in funding for Tahkoluoto offshore wind power demonstration project. The project entails the installation of two 15 MW offshore wind turbines near the Tahkoluoto offshore wind farm. This will be the very first offshore wind farm in frozen sea conditions.