Finnish government agency Metsähallitus has signed an agreement to lease a public water area to the Tahkoluoto Extension offshore wind farm.
The access right agreement with Suomen Hyötytuuli leases the stretch off the coast of Pori Tahkoluoto for wind power development.
The lease is the first long-running access right contract in Finland for a public water area designated for wind power production.
The Maritime Spatial Plan and the regional land use plans identify several potential areas for offshore wind development in Finnish seas.
As the holder of public water areas, Metsähallitus develops projects, issues reservation and access rights contracts and acts as a lessor.
The ownership of the water areas remains with the state.
Juha Niemelä, Director General of Metsähallitus, said: “Suomen Hyötytuuli is a pioneer in offshore wind farms in Finland.
“Tahkoluoto Extension is an important step on Finland’s path to carbon neutrality by 2035.”
Suomen Hyötytuuli’s Tahkoluoto project in Pori was piloted in 2010 and completed in 2017.
It is Finland’s first offshore wind farm and the world’s first in frozen sea conditions.
Suomen Hyötytuuli is now developing an extension site north-east of Tahkoluoto. The land use plan was approved in December 2022 and allows for 40 turbines with capacities of more than 15MW.
After signing the access right contract, the project will proceed to permitting, technical design and investment preparation.
The development is estimated to be completed in 2027.