Water lease signed for extension of Finland's 1st offshore wind farm
SeeNews Renewables
January 31 (Renewables Now) - Finnish state enterprise Metsahallitus has signed an access right contract whereby it leases the public water area off the coast of Pori Tahkoluoto to wind power producer Suomen Hyotytuuli Oy, the parties said on Tuesday. Suomen Hyotytuuli is developing an extension to its small-scale Tahkoluoto offshore wind farm in Pori, with plans for 40 wind turbines of over 15 MW. Tahkoluoto was completed in 2017, becoming Finland's first offshore wind farm. The agreement with Metsahallitus marks the first long-running access right contract for a public water area designated for wind generation. “The Finnish government granted Metsahallitus the right to lease the water areas governed by the state for the Tahkoluoto Extension offshore wind farm in the summer of 2022,” explained Metsahallitus director general Juha S Niemela. At the end of 2021, the government approved the auction model for offshore wind in public water areas. Metsahallitus said it will bring more areas to the market during 2023. With the access right contract in place, the extension project proceeds to permitting, technical design and investment preparation, says the announcement. The project is expected to be completed in 2027.