All the 36 wind turbines installed at Ilmatar’s 221MW wind farm in South Ostrobothnia, Finland, have commenced operation.
The site forms part of the developer’s first hybrid renewable energy park.
As part of the eventual 370MW hybrid complex in Alajärvi Ilmatar plans to build a 150MW solar farm and a 25MW battery.
For the construction of the solar farm and battery, Ilmatar has received an EU/RRF grant of €19.5m from the Ministry of Employment and the Economy.
The solar and storage assets will be built between 2024 and 2025, with the full-scale plant ready to start commercial production by 2026 at the latest.
“The energy storage and solar power generation will be in the immediate vicinity of the wind farm, within the sub-zoning area designated for renewable energy production,” said Ilmatar business development manager Katja Koponen.
“Energy will thus be produced and managed in two vertical layers in the same geographical area.
“In this way, land use is more efficient and environmental impacts are concentrated in a smaller area compared to if the projects were implemented separately.”
Japan’s Kansai Electric Power is a minority shareholder in the Alajärvi wind farm, the second in which it Ilmatar and Kansai Electric Power have collaborated.
Kansai Electric Power representative executive officer and vice president Mikio Matsumura added: “We will continue to cooperate with Ilmatar and be deeply involved in management of the project to ensure its safe operation.
“Our company commits to accelerate renewable energy projects around the world in order to achieve decarbonised society.”