New substation to be constructed in Joutseno

Supplemented EIA for the Lempiälä - Imatra 400 kilovolt transmission line completed. Fingrid Oyj, which is responsible for the main electricity transmission grid in Finland, has completed the supplementation of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the 400 kilovolt (kV) transmission line between Lempiälä in Lappeenranta and Imatra in South-Eastern Finland. Line route alternative A, which follows the route of the existing 110 kV line, has been chosen for further planning. A new substation relating to the line will be constructed in Joutseno.In accordance with prognoses indicating growing electricity consumption, the transmission capacity of the main grid to Imatra needs to be strengthened by the end of this decade. The most viable solution in technical and economic terms is to construct a 400/110 kV transformer substation in the Imatra region and to connect it to the main grid at the Yllikkälä substation in Lappeenranta. In 2003, Fingrid supplemented the earlier environmental impact assessment for the transmission line from Yllikkälä to Lempiälä. The EIA has now been supplemented for the 400 kV connection from Lempiälä to Imatra. Line route alternative A chosen for further planning can utilise the route of the existing 110 kV line in accordance with the nation-wide land use guidelines. The route alternative chosen is also the most acceptable alternative to society, as indicated by the EIA process completed in 1997 and by the feedback received during the current supplementation of the assessment. Housing located close to the current 110 kV line route will be treated as a special object, where the location of the line will be specified in more detail in conjunction with further planning. By virtue of an investigation permit granted by the Provincial Government of Southern Finland, Fingrid will launch the engineering of the transmission line and related field surveys. This year, field surveys which support engineering will be carried out, the tower locations will be marked, and the soil of the tower locations will be analysed. Fingrid’s representatives have contacted the relevant landowners before the launching of field surveys. Potential damage caused by field surveys will be compensated once the work is complete. Before the construction of the new transmission line commences, Fingrid will apply for a construction permit required by Electricity Market Act from the Energy Market Authority. An application for the permit for the right of use of the ground required by the transmission line will be submitted to the Government of Finland during 2006. The expropriation permit application will present the technical solutions to be applied to the construction of the transmission line. Further information:
Antti Linna, Project Manager + 358 (0)30 395 5168, + 358 (0)40 522 7124
Sami Kuitunen, Head of Environmental Unit + 358 (0)30 395 5220, + 358 (0)40 519 5008