The Supreme Administrative Court has today confirmed the building permits for the 39 turbines to be built at Möksy and Louhukangas windfarms in Alajärvi. The wind farm built by Ilmatar will consist of state-of-the-art turbines and the company is also exploring the option of building an extensive energy storage capacity on the site. The wind farm will be one of Finland’s largest.
Works at the Möksy and Louhukangas wind farms are scheduled to commence in 2021. At the building stage, the project is estimated to employ approximately 200 persons. One of the largest wind farms in Finland, the wind farm will start generating power by 2023.
“We are incredibly pleased that this nationally and regionally vital project is going forward, and we can start building the wind farm. This is the biggest investment in the history of the Alajärvi region and it is also quite significant and positive for the economy of the entire country,” says Juha Sarsama, CEO of Ilmatar.
“This project is also a step forward in achieving national renewable energy targets in Finland, which in turn creates investment opportunities for energy-intensive industries at large. The project generates substantial tax revenue in the region and the employment it creates is important for the region. At the construction stage, there will be a particular demand for transport, earthworks, concrete construction and power grid building specialists. A project of this magnitude will also have a positive impact on the region’s retail, hotel and catering businesses,” Sarsama points out.
The new wind farm will feed a significant amount of clean Finnish wind power into the main grid. The wind farm will be located in the immediate vicinity of the Alajärvi substation, which is a key hub in the main grid. The wind farm will be partially occupying a now decommissioned peat production site, forming a natural continuum in the transition towards renewable energy.
“We have maintained a good, open and transparent dialogue with the residents and decision-makers of Alajärvi throughout the past eight years of development, beginning with the initial planning. I have no doubt that the dialogue will remain equally constructive as the building of the wind farm begins,” Sarsama concludes.