Published 2.6.2023

Metsähallitus to launch tendering processes for Pyhäjoki-Raahe and Närpiö offshore wind farms – 3 GW of new offshore wind power in Finland

Metsähallitus will start competitive tendering processes of two offshore wind farms on the west coast of Finland. The projects will be developed in the areas of Pyhäjoki and Raahe municipalities as well as in the area belonging to the town of Närpiö.  

Tendering processes will be launched after the state administration and local municipalities have made the remaining decisions related to the preparations of the projects. The opening will be announced separately later this year. 

The offshore wind projects to be opened for competitive tendering will be located in the areas belonging to the municipalities of Pyhäjoki, Raahe and Närpiö in Osthrobothnia. In April, Pyhäjoki and Raahe approved the zoning initiatives for an area of approximately 160 km2. Earlier this week, the Närpiö City Board approved a zoning initiative for an area of approximately 180 km2. Both the new offshore wind farms will be developed in state owned areas on the Finnish territorial waters. 

Part of the green transition 

The projects selected for commercial preparation are an important part of the green transition and the Finnish energy supply of the next decade. They are also in line with Metsähallitus purpose to foster natural values and take care of the shared wealth responsibly across generations. 

“In addition to clean energy to the national grid, large-scale offshore wind farms offer long-term security of supply to industry and create attractive conditions for the development of new industrial activities in the country. That is the background for these two projects to be opened for competitive tendering later this year. In addition, we plan to launch two more processes next year,” says Metsähallitus Director General Juha S. Niemelä. 

Large investment projects require a lot of time and expert resources from all participating companies. The thorough tendering process takes about a year. 

“It is important that all interested investors who meet the criteria, will be able to prepare their participation to the desired extent,” explains Juha S. Niemelä. 

Commercially, technically and financially attractive projects 

“The clear technical and financial aspects support the Pyhäjoki-Raahe and Närpiö projects to be launched as the first two of all five projects on the table,” says Tuomas Hallenberg, SVP, Property Development & Renewables of Metsähallitus.  

The chosen areas and their seabed are well suited for the construction of offshore wind farms. Electricity transmission connections from sea to land and further to the main grid can also be built with reasonable efforts. 

“Pyhäjoki, Raahe and Närpiö are strongly committed to cooperation. Municipalities have strong experience in wind power generation. All these aspects increase the certainty of project implementation from the energy producer’s point of view,” says Tuomas Hallenberg. 

Pyhäjoki-Raahe and Närpiö offshore wind farms are attractive from the point of view of potential investors. 

“There is a need for industrial scale offering of clean energy in nearby areas. In addition, there are plans related to the development of the battery cluster and the hydrogen economy in the area. These create good starting points for a successful tendering process for project rights and lease rights in the area,” says Otto Swanljung, Wind Energy Director. 

6,000 MW of new offshore wind power in the next decade 

The two projects, which are planned to be opened for tendering processes in autumn 2023, are part of Metsähallitus’ plan to develop new offshore wind power in the open sea areas of Ostrobothnia’s coastal municipalities. The combined planning capacity of the projects promoting a vigorous green transition and Finland’s climate goals is approximately 6,000 megawatts (MW). 

The role of Metsähallitus is the pre-development of projects within the regional waters, as well as the sale of project rights and the leasing of the area to a wind power producer. 

The preliminary development of offshore wind power projects covers, in addition to zoning, e.g. permits of state administration, research of seabed structures and measurements of wind conditions in the area. In the following EIA procedure, the project’s environmental impacts and electricity transmission options are evaluated. Permit processes for an offshore wind farm take 5–7 years, after which the construction takes 2–3 years. 

The area leased for the offshore wind power project will remain state property. Once completed, the offshore wind farm will pay real estate tax to the local municipality. 

For additional information, please contact: 
Tuomas Hallenberg, SVP, Property Development & Renewables, Metsähallitus, tel. +358 20 639 4717 
email: tuomas.hallenberg@metsa.fi 

Investors:  
Otto Swanljung, Director, Wind Energy, Metsähallitus, tel. +358 20 639 4643 
email: otto.swanljung@metsa.fi 

Communications contact: 
Hanna Kaurala, Communications Manager, Property Development, Metsähallitus, tel. +358 206 394 239,  
email: hanna.kaurala@metsa.fi 

Read more about offshore wind development: 
https://www.metsa.fi/en/responsible-business/wind-power/great-potential-in-offshore-wind-power/ 

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