The Vind Cafe of Vattenfall and Metsähallitus at Korsnäs attracted many local residents. Among other things, the public was interested in the impacts of the difficult security situation on the project, the future of property tax revenue and the ongoing bird surveys.
The house of the Korsnäs Youth and Village Association was full at the Vind Cafe event held on Thursday evening. The local residents of Korsnäs region were interested in hearing what is happening now and in the near future with the Korsnäs Offshore Wind Farm project. The project is in the middle of an intensive planning phase. One of the current projects includes the thorough bird surveys carried out in the area.
“Climate change is a key reason for biodiversity loss. The energy transition is therefore necessary, but at the same time clean energy production projects affect the environment and natural ecosystems. Biodiversity and nature conservation are key principles for Vattenfall,” said Jesper Kyed Larsen, a bird expert at Vattenfall.
For more than two decades, Vattenfall has been working together with researchers to study the environmental impacts of wind farms. The company uses established international research standards. The majority of bird surveys are carried out by aeroplanes. According to Larsen, surveys carried out on small aircraft disturb birds less than helicopter and boat-based surveys. They also provide the most reliable estimates of the total number of birds in the area and the most detailed information on the distribution of birds.
“In the Korsnäs area, we survey how and when birds use the area, especially during migration seasons. The aim is to find out what birds there are in the area, how many birds, where and when. This way, we can plan the wind farm in the best possible way from the perspective of nature and so that disturbances to nature are minimised, said Charlotta Lindberg, Senior Consent Manager at Vattenfall.
In addition to flight surveys, GPS tracking of birds and observation of migration are carried out in the area. Birdlife surveys began at the end of March and will continue until March 2026. In addition to birdlife surveys, Vattenfall is mapping marine mammals and fish stocks in the project area this year.
Simultaneously with the birdlife surveys, the technical planning of the offshore wind farm will continue.
One example is the planning of cable routes for the offshore wind farm, as well as electricity transmission on the mainland. At the same time, Vattenfall is developing port infrastructure together with the ports in the region. Vattenfall has already signed a letter of intent with the Port of Vaasa and the Port of Kaskinen.
The public discussion was active. The public was particularly interested to know at what stage the offshore wind farm project is, whether the municipality of Korsnäs may keep the property tax revenue from the offshore wind farm and whether the difficult security situation causes problems for the project. The Korsnäs project is located in Finnish territorial waters, which are monitored by the Finnish government.
The bird surveys also sparked a lot of discussion. The public wanted to know why it is necessary to conduct bird surveys in the Korsnäs area instead of utilising international research results. The public also asked how birds react to wind turbines. Results from other offshore wind farms have shown that birds are skilled in avoiding wind turbines.
INFORMATION BOX
Korsnäs Offshore Wind Farm project
- In 2022, Vattenfall started cooperation with Metsähallitus to build the Korsnäs Offshore Wind Farm.
- The project plays an important role in increasing Finland’s energy self-sufficiency and supports the Government’s goal of being carbon neutral by 2035.
- The capacity of the offshore wind farm is 1.3-2.5 GW, and the annual production is 5-7 TWh.
- Once completed, the wind farm will produce renewable energy that corresponds to the annual consumption of more than 350,000 electrically heated single-family houses in Finland.
- The value of the investment is EUR 2-3 billion.
- The planning and development phase of the project is currently underway. The offshore wind farm is expected to be operational in the 2030s.
Further information on the project:
- Korsnäs Offshore Wind Farm, group.vattenfall.com
- Korsnäs Offshore Wind Farm project, metsa.fi
Further information:
Anna Lehto, Wind Power Specialist, anna.lehto@metsa.fi, +358 40 191 2995
Heli Satuli, Head of Communications Vattenfall, +358 40 480 4075, heli.satuli@vattenfall.com
Vattenfall
Vattenfall is a leading European energy company that has been electrifying industries, supplying energy to homes and reforming our lives through innovation and cooperation for over 100 years. The company has approximately 21,000 employees and 13 million customers. Vattenfall has been operating in Finland for over 30 years. We own 9 hydro power plants in Finland and are developing an industrial-scale offshore wind farm in Korsnäs near Vaasa. Our goal is fossil freedom. www.vattenfall.com.