Fingrid received its second Environmental Impact Assessment award

The transformation the energy system and reaching national climate goals require a new kind of energy production connected to the main grid and construction of new transmission lines. The EIA procedure for the transmission lines required to connect the Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant to the main grid was completed in 2016. Its purpose was to find a suitable route for a transmission line connection nearly a hundred kilometres long. The assessment took into account both the connection lines  to be owned by Fennovoima Oy, the planner  of the plant, and the lines required to reinforce the main grid, to be owned by Fingrid Oyj. Fingrid will decide on the further planning and construction of transmission lines reinforcing the main grid according to the progression of Fennovoima's nuclear power plant project.

 

FAIA rewarded Fingrid's environmental impact assessment work with its EIA award for 2017; the award annually rewards assessments that have significantly developed the assessment procedure. Fingrid has previously received the award in 2011. At Fingrid, the EIA procedure is an important planning tool, used to find routes for new transmission lines that are the most suitable from the environmental perspective in cooperation with landowners, the authorities and other interest groups. Fingrid has developed its operating models to allow the EIA procedure to serve all parties as well as possible. The provision of information to and engagement of landowners have been increased, and project communications have been made more comprehensible. Methods of presenting the impacts have been developed to let every person interested in the project easily find the information relevant to them among the extensive material concerning a large transmission line project. It is also important to ensure the smooth flow of information from the EIA to the further stages of the transmission line project.

 

”During this EIA procedure, too, we revised transmission line routes to decrease environmental impacts and included new routes in the assessment, for which we have feedback from landowners and other interest groups to thank,” says Satu Vuorikoski, Development Manager, Corporate Responsibility, and Fingrid's contact person in the EIA procedure. ”Our goal is to implement transmission line projects causing as little harm as possible to both people and the environment. We are committed to responsible business practices and continuously develop them,” Vuorikoski sums up.

 

In addition to the EIA phase, Fingrid has developed the practices of providing information during the construction phase of transmission line projects. Fingrid also encourages landowners to promote the utilisation of transmission line areas to benefit people and nature. ”We would like to thank the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of North Ostrobothnia, FCG Suunnittelu ja tekniikka Oy, the consultant that carried out the environmental impact assessment work, and Fennovoima Oy, the second party responsible for the project, as well as everybody involved in the EIA. It's great to see that our investment in the development of the EIA procedure for transmission line projects has proven functional,” Vuorikoski says.

 

Further information:
Development Manager, Corporate Responsibility Satu Vuorikoski, tel. +358 30 395 5195
Technical Expert Pasi Saari, tel. +358 30 395 5178

 

The project on Fingrid's website (in Finnish)