Finland: New study identifies areas suitable for offshore wind power

According to a new study, It is possible to place wind farms in all Finnish marine areas in a cost-effective way, without significant harm to coastal residents and livelihoods, even so that the effects on marine nature remain minimal. The largest areas suitable for wind power generation can be found in the Gulf of Bothnia and Bothnian Bay. According to Elina Virtanen, Senior Research Scientist at the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) and the lead author of the study, it would be sensible to place the production of renewable energy close to consumers. However, due to national defence considerations the construction of wind farms in Finland's southern marine areas is not encouraged. The research article was authored by researchers from SYKE, the University of Helsinki, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, Natural Resources Institute Finland, and Parks and Wildlife Finland.