The wind power industry has expressed criticism of the government’s decision to delay offshore wind power projects in Finland. The Ministry of Labor and Economy had previously granted exclusive rights to 11 companies for the development of offshore wind power in the Gulf of Pohjanlahti, where the right of use would be reserved for a specific company for a set period.
However, due to concerns about overlapping areas and potential negative impacts on local ecosystems, the government has decided not to grant exclusive rights to any one company. Instead, they will establish clear guidelines regarding the conditions for building wind power in the economic zone through a tendering process.
Kari Klemm, an advisor to the Ministry of Labor and Economic Affairs, emphasized that while the government supports offshore wind power projects, they must ensure that the wider impacts of such projects are considered. The goal is to have a new law on offshore wind power in place by the end of the year.
Finland’s utility wind and OX2 raised concerns about how this decision may negatively impact their offshore wind projects. Finland’s utility wind highlighted significant offshore wind power potential in Finland’s economic zone and emphasized the importance of a controlled approach to bringing project areas to market. OX2 expressed worry that their projects would be delayed but hoped for minimal disruption to their timeline.
Suomen Tuulivoimayhdistys, an industry interest organization also echoed these concerns, stating that this decision would slow down development of offshore wind power projects in Finland’s economic zone. There are high expectations now for future tenders and new economic zone offshore wind power law. Despite this setback for the industry, efforts continue towards harnessing clean energy from winds efficiently and sustainably.
