Sweden starts to promote offshore wind power

According to a decision published by the Swedish government, the Swedish grid company will promote the import of the grid at sea. According to the Finnish Wind Power Association, the Swedish government’s promotion measures would mean significant support for Swedish offshore wind projects.

In Finland, how to set offshore wind projects in Finnish territorial waters is currently being studied and defined with stakeholders. The use of marine areas requires clear and transparent rules and a reasonable level of rent to develop projects. We compete for investment and financing with Sweden in a situation where Sweden has a significant competitive advantage. In Sweden, for example, no property tax or offshore rent is paid for offshore wind farms. As in Sweden, it would be good in Finland to look at the rules of the game for connecting renewable energy production projects to the electricity transmission network.

In Finland, it must be clarified how the competitiveness of the offshore wind power can be improved both in Finnish territorial waters and in the exclusive economic zone. “The production costs of the offshore wind power are falling and it is expected that in the next decade we will be able to build offshore wind power on market terms. However, offshore wind power still needs a little push to help create know-how and the offshore wind power value chain in Finland”, says Anni Mikkonen, CEO of the Finnish Wind Power Association.

”If Finland now misses its chance to create value chain, other countries will bypass Finland and know how will not be born in Finland”