Wind power on state-owned areas

Wind power project development has been part of our business since the early 2010s. We develop and sell wind and solar energy projects and lease state-owned land and water areas for energy projects.

State-owned land managed by Metsähallitus currently accommodates 184 wind turbines (11/2025), whose energy production corresponds to the electricity consumption of approximately 110,000 electrically heated detached houses.

Approximately 6,000 MW of onshore wind power and 8,500 MW of offshore wind power are currently at different stages of project development by various operators in state-owned areas. The realisation of these projects depends on factors such as permitting, land use planning and investment decisions. If the projects are realised, investments of several billion euros will have been made in wind energy production on state-owned land. If realised, the projects may also have positive impacts on employment and regional economies.

Metsähallitus also has a certified environmental management system, ISO 14001, on the basis of which environmental goals are adopted annually.

In wind power project development, we assess the environmental and societal impacts of projects through environmental impact assessment and land use planning procedures. In all our operations, we follow Metsähallitus’ Code of Conduct, which sets out our key principles for responsible and ethical operations.

Metsähallitus’ role in wind power project development

The role of Metsähallitus is to develop wind power projects to the point where they are ready for construction. This means that we

• seek out areas suitable for wind power production
• advance environmental impact assessment and land use planning processes in cooperation with the relevant authorities
• prepare plans for placement of power stations
• design road and electricity connections
• apply for various required permits including building permits.

We also cover the expenses for these measures. After these stages are complete, we put the project out to tender and sell the project rights. Please note that our operating model for offshore wind power differs from the model described above. Read more about offshore wind power.

We also have aggregate reserves in many wind power areas and we are happy to negotiate their use in wind power projects.

The land and water areas remain state-owned and are leased for the projects.

Planning involves cooperation

Wind power areas on state-owned land are typically quite far away from population centres. The common forms of land use in these areas include recreational uses such as hunting, berry picking and spending time in nature, and also reindeer husbandry in more northern regions. We discuss with land users and establish the location of valuable areas, taking these into account as far as possible when locating power stations in the area.

In each area we identify key environmental values such as different protected areas, significant biotopes and conservation status of bird and plant species, and primarily seek to avoid adverse impacts on them and, secondarily, to mitigate such impacts.

We therefore aim to form the most comprehensive overview possible of the use of the area in question so that we can minimise the potential impacts of the wind power station on other activities. These discussions often also involve opportunities for cooperation, such as work to improve the road network so that it effectively serves as many as possible.

The measures described above are planned, implemented and reported in detail in the statutory environmental impact assessments (EIA) and during the planning process.

Activities such as forestry, reindeer husbandry, hunting and recreational use can generally continue in wind power areas. However, construction and operation may result in project-specific restrictions and impacts. Movement in the area is unrestricted, except at active construction sites during the construction phase. The substation area is fenced for safety reasons.

Economic and energy-related impacts of wind power

Wind power in Finland is currently a profitable business that does not require subsidies. The electricity of many new wind parks is sold in advance to large electricity consumers through long-term sales contracts. For example, 60% of the electricity produced by the Piiparinmäki wind park built on state-owned land is sold to technology company Google.

In addition, the property tax paid by wind power stations is an important source of income for many municipalities. It can amount to tens of thousands of euros per year for each wind power station. The number of wind turbines in a wind power area may range from a few to several dozen. On average, ten wind power stations provide employment for two maintenance workers. More employees are needed, of course, during the construction phase.

Many municipalities are also aiming to move towards carbon neutrality. Wind power production located within a municipality is taken into account in municipal carbon balance calculations.

Useful links

• Finland’s Integrated Energy and Climate Plan, julkaisut.valtioneuvost.fi
• Energy pages of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tem.fi
• General information on wind power in Finland, suomentuulivoimayhdistys.fi
• Wind power construction, ymparisto.fi
• State of the power system in Finland, Finngrid.fi

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