Finnish energy company Ilmatar will perform a technical survey for a planned wind farm north of Aland in Finland.
The project is intended to be connected to both Sweden and Finland and is expected to supply around 10% of Finland’s annual energy needs.
The technical surveys of the seabed started by Ilmatar Offshore are within the maritime areas north of Aland that, according to the Aland maritime spatial plan, have been proposed as suitable for offshore wind farms.
In total, the area comprises about 600 sq km divided into two project areas which, using existing turbine technology, would allow for a wind farm with a capacity of 2.1GW and an annual output of 10TWh.
The preliminary work is projected to be completed by the start of 2023, whereupon the material gathered will be analysed and used as a basis for Ilmatar’s environmental impact assessment.
“This is the operational launch of Ilmatar’s investment in offshore wind power. The wind farms Stormskar and Vaderskar have now formally been given the status as projects for development at Ilmatar,” said Anna Hager, regional manager of Ilmatar Offshore.
“We are the first to conduct this type of comprehensive technical analysis of the seabed in the waters around Aland. It is an expensive but necessary investment in preparation for a high quality and all-encompassing environmental impact assessment.”
Project manager at Arctia Patrik Niskanen added: “The surveys will use only acoustic methods, that is to say sound waves, which means we do not physically touch the seabed at all. The instruments all operate at relatively high frequencies with low acoustic power and are entirely harmless to marine animals and vegetation.”