Background
Ilmatar is planning two closely located wind farms in the north-west of Paltamo. The Hukkalansalo project area north of Vaarankylä is partly bordered by the municipal boundary of Puolanka. The more westerly Takiankangas area, north of the village of Petäjälahti, borders both Vaala and Puolanka municipal boundaries. The environmental impact assessment process for the projects examined the siting of up to 31 power plants in the Takiankangas project area and up to 19 power plants in the Hukkalansalo area.
Both project areas have received a favourable opinion from the Defence Forces, which allows a maximum power plant size of 350 metres. Both sites have also received a favourable air traffic control certificate, meaning that the planned power plants will not cause any restrictions to civil aviation.
The nature surveys have included monitoring of bird migration routes, bird of prey routes, forest canaries’ nesting sites and other breeding birds in summer. Vegetation and habitats have been mapped and surveys have been carried out, including bat and bat-squirrel surveys. Archaeological surveys have also been carried out in the areas of the planned wind farms and the proposed electricity transmission routes.
The EIA programme was open to the public from June to August 2022. The EIA report for the project has been completed and was open to the public from 18.10 to 1.12.2023. The ELY Centre issued its reasoned conclusion on the EIA report at the beginning of February 2024. The EIA studies have shown that the feasibility of the Hukkalansalo project area is good. The terrain studies for Takiankangas will be carried out during the 2024 field season to complement the EIA, after which a new assessment of the feasible area and number of power plants will be carried out.
The draft plans for the project areas have been made available for consultation from 18 October to 17 November 2023.
The documents related to the environmental impact assessment of the Takiankangas and Hukkalansalo wind power projects are available on the website of the Kainuu ELY Centre, the contact authority.
Ilmatar Paltamo Oy will be responsible for the development and future operation of the Hukkalansalo and Takiankangas wind farms. The company is based in Paltamo.
Further information
Ville Huovinen
Project Development Manager
Ilmatar
+358 45 672 1192
[email protected]