The Finnish Government has granted survey permits for Ilmatar Offshore’s two new project areas, Bothnia and Bothnia West, in the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Ilmatar Offshore has identified two new areas suitable for offshore wind in the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The project areas are called Bothnia and Bothnia West and are located in the middle of the Bothnian Sea, about 100 kilometres off the west coast of Finland.
Bothnia and Bothnia West are together the largest offshore wind development area in Finland, Ilmatar said.
The exploration licence covers an area of almost 2,200 km2.
Jori Sihvonen, project manager for Ilmatar’s offshore development in Finland’s EEZ, said: “Roughly estimated, it can accommodate a wind farm with a capacity of over 6GW.
“This means excellent opportunities for fossil-free electrification in Finland and Sweden.”
The survey licence means that seabed surveys, detailed measurements and evaluation of the current state of the project area can begin.
Ilmatar has already started work on the environmental impact assessment in cooperation with Ramboll Finland, and the practical surveys will begin early in 2024.
“If the project is realized, electricity production could start in the early 2030s.
“What we as developer and independent energy producer need now, to realize this and other offshore wind projects in the EEZ, is government guidance on how to obtain exclusivity for the actual development of the areas.”
Anna Häger, regional manager at Ilmatar Offshore, added: “This is a massive area that creates great potential for developing energy-intensive industries in neighbouring areas.
“This is another step we at Ilmatar are taking to strengthen our position as the leading independent power producer in the Nordic region and also a sign of our ability to grow and take a long-term view in an ever-changing market environment.”
This year, Ilmatar is commissioning at least six onshore wind farms and one solar farm in Finland, and just recently received the building permit for the first large-scale solar park of 55MWp in Knihult, Sweden.