Serving customers and society for 20 years

On the penultimate day of November 1996, Imatran Voima, Pohjolan Voima and the State of Finland signed the charter to found the transmission system operator. The deal signed on the last day of August in the following year, 1997, was the largest in Finnish history at that time. This is how Fingrid got its start. This year, we are celebrating Fingrid's 20 years of serving as a model of main grid operations. President & CEO Jukka Ruusunen:

The creation of an electricity market led to the founding of Fingrid 20 years ago. A transmission system operator independent of the competitive business functions was needed to develop an infrastructure that supports market activities. From the very beginning, the principles of operational development were efficiency, fairness and independence. We can take pride in the fact that our own Finnish approach has subsequently received global recognition.

Over the past ten years, ageing of the main grid, constantly increasing electricity market needs, and the change in production structure have increased the pace of investment. Now the budget for our ten-year plan for main grid development can always be measured in billions of euros. It has been essential to find a new way of thinking. Each year, our customers present us with more challenges and provide additional motivation to develop activities. It has also become increasingly important to build cooperation with the authorities both in Finland and internationally.

In spite of our success, we still have more dreams for the future than longing for the past. In the midst of changes to the energy system, Finnish society needs Fingrid's expertise and unbiased views. No other actor can match our understanding of electricity market operations as a whole.

The vision of a future energy system based on renewable sources of energy seems more concrete all the time. The bigger problem may involve finding the path that will take us to a sunny future. We have been active in this matter and presented our opinion of the actions needed to save the electricity market. One element in this development is involving ordinary electricity consumers in the electricity market and thus supporting the development of a new energy system. In this respect, digitalisation is like a gift from heaven: the new energy system will require much more networking for people and equipment.

This represents a huge change, but one thing will remain the same for us. In the future, Fingrid will still have to earn the trust of society and customers – every day.

Jukka Ruusunen
President & CEO