A strong grid enables new industrial projects and investments in municipalities. It attracts businesses and creates jobs — strengthening the vitality of the region for decades to come. Many municipalities currently have hopes to strengthen the grid, and the green transition will increase needs.
Fingrid knows the wishes and needs of municipalities. The total volume of electricity production and consumption connection enquiries has reached 500,000 megawatts, which is an enormous number when Finland’s peak consumption is about 15,000 megawatts.
“We are building the main grid as projects mature.”
“Being prepared to satisfy everyone’s wishes is an impossible task. That is why we build the main grid as projects mature. Fingrid’s connection planning progresses side-by-side with projects, but not well in advance,” says Jussi Jyrinsalo, Senior Vice President at Fingrid.
When a region has more plans that are further advanced in permitting, it is more certain that users will come to the main grid and Fingrid can confidently prepare system reinforcements.
“If there are a large number of smaller project ideas coming to the same region, for example wind farms, it is not the end of the world for us if a single customer project goes under. But a big customer project, for example a large consumption site, can fall through for some reason, and then we will have invested in system reinforcements for no reason,” explains Jyrinsalo.
He hints that if a municipality wants a stronger main grid in its area, it should promote the permit procedures for electricity production and consumption projects and support projects in all possible ways. Fingrid should be kept up to date with the progress of the projects.
“Unfortunately, wishes to promote the vitality of a municipality and build a strong network in advance for possible future needs are not sufficient grounds. The necessary permits must exist, and the customer project must be advanced enough in order for the connection to be added to the network plan.”
Already EUR 4 billion in investments
Fingrid’s investments have grown tremendously with the green transition. Over the next 10 years, Fingrid will invest approximately EUR 4 billion in the grid. In the previous 10-year development plan, the figure was EUR 2 billion.
Investments are needed, as the grid is being strenghtened from the west and north to the south: The west coast has wind power, complemented by electricity imports from Sweden, and in Southern Finland, the need for electrical power is growing constantly.
“The capacity of the main grid from the north to the south should double in ten years, which means several new 400 kilovolt transmission lines,” Jussi Jyrinsalo mentions.
Residents and decision-makers are consulted
A new transmission line project is a significant opportunity for municipalities to develop the infrastructure and increase regional vitality. Residents and landowners, on the other hand, can be upset by large construction projects, as construction sites primarily travel through private land.
However, all parties are consulted at different stages in design and construction, and then municipal residents can share their views. Involvement and interaction with locals are key to the success of the project.
“Our goal is that a transmission line project serves local needs and the interest of society as a whole.”
“We want to hear a wide range of comments from local residents and municipal decision-makers. Everyone’s opinion is important because our goal is to achieve the best possible solution that takes into account different interests. Not all environmental impacts are visible from a computer, and we generally do not know the areas ourselves,” says Expert Eero Kujanen of Fingrid.
A main grid construction project is initiated through an EIA, which looks at the impact of the project on the environment, land use and social life. The EIA is a tool for planning transmission line routes. The process is designed to ensure that local views and regional needs are taken into account.
Fingrid expropriates the right to use land for the grid in return for the compensation specified by law. The Expropriation Act will be reformed to increase the compensation by 25%.
“The purpose of the expropriation procedure is to compensate the landowner for all financial losses. In addition, the amendment to the Expropriation Act provides extra compensation. Although the situation is not always easy, we believe that the reform will increase the sense of justice — after all, the legal project has been pending for years,” says Kujanen.
Flexibility in Finland’s interests
Municipal town planning is emphasised in transmission line projects. Careful town planning that takes into account the long-term needs of the main grid makes it easier to build transmission lines and improves the municipality’s land use planning.
“Our goal is that a transmission line project serves both local needs and the interest of the whole society,” says Kujanen.
Also, the reliability of the grid should be ensured, even though transmissions are growing steadily and there are increasing numbers of users. Many types of flexibility in both electricity consumption and production are becoming more valuable.’
“More flexibility is now required in order for Finland to succeed. For example, the locations of projects should be considered from this point of view: if, for example, an industrial plant needs to be located near a port, nothing can be done about it, but it would be possible to place a data centre or battery more freely,” Jyrinsalo adds.
