Ilmatar has once again initiated a new wind power production complex for commercial operations. The Västervik and Isokeidas wind farms are generating renewable energy with 14 turbines, totalling nearly 87 megawatts (MW) of nominal capacity. The production equals up to 100,000 apartment units’ yearly electricity consumption.
Both Västervik and Isokeidas wind power farms have reached the commercial production phase. Construction began in July 2022, following the investment decisions for the wind farms.
With the Västervik and Isokeidas farms, Ilmatar has initiated commercial production at six renewable energy production sites in 2023 so far. These wind and solar power farms will remain in Ilmatar’s ownership throughout their entire lifecycle, following the company’s strategy.
– Completing the construction of Västervik and Isokeidas ahead of schedule was a success, and the work complemented the earlier completion of Jäkäläkangas wind farm. The challenging wind conditions in late summer and early autumn added their own touch to the installation of wind turbines in Isokeidas and Västervik. However, active work planning and fitting the work into suitable wind windows enabled us to overcome these challenges, comments Petri Ainonen, Ilmatar’s Director, Construction.
AIP Management, a Danish investment manager dedicated to investing in energy and infrastructure assets in Europe and the United States, participated as a financer in Isokeidas, Västervik, Jäkäläkangas and Palma wind farms that have all been taken into commercial operation during 2023. The total capacity of the four wind farms is 131.8 megawatts.
– As a funder to these four wind parks, AIP is very pleased that Ilmatar has successfully achieved final completion of the full portfolio ahead of schedule. Ilmatar has been a reliable and transparent partner throughout the construction phase, and we very much welcome the close collaboration we have had. We are proud to have contributed to Finland’s green transition and look forward to continuing our partnership with Ilmatar, says Greg Falzon, Partner & Co-head of Investments.
Excellent collaboration with local communities
In these recently completed projects, Ilmatar has maintained excellent collaboration with local communities from the initial phases of the projects. This collaboration has been evident in various subcontracting activities during construction.
– We’ve received assistance in storage, various transportation services, lifting and unloading aids, as well as cleaning, maintenance, and waste management services. Accommodations during the project have also been arranged with local resources, Ainonen adds.
The Västervik (55.8 MW) and Isokeidas (31 MW) wind turbines are estimated to produce a total of 293 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of renewable energy annually. This equates to the electricity needs of up to 100,000 apartment units or 30,000 detached houses.
Ilmatar is also exploring the construction of another wind power farm in the Västervik area. Västervik 2 project includes 18 wind turbines. Ilmatar will carry out comprehensive terrain surveys in 2024. In addition, the environmental impact assessment procedure will be launched in parallel with the planning procedure, and several public hearing events open to all will be organized when the work progresses.