Fingrid decides on a significant investment in North Ostrobothnia – The Valkeus substation will enable major wind power investments in the region

Fingrid has decided to invest in the construction of a substation in Valkeus in North Ostrobothnia. There are currently more than 80 wind power projects at different stages of planning in North Ostrobothnia. This is more than anywhere else in Finland. The construction of the Valkeus substation will contribute to the realisation of wind power investments.

A substantial volume of wind power output is located in the area surrounding the future Valkeus substation, and sufficiently robust electricity transmission connections are required. The municipalities of Siikajoki, Pyhäjoki and Merijärvi and cities of Raahe and Oulainen currently have a total of 210 megawatts of wind power. An additional 550 megawatts of new wind power capacity in the area is in the active planning phase. A new substation is required to enable new wind power plants to connect to the main grid and transmit electricity onwards for consumption.

The 400/110-kilovolt substation in Valkeus will be located in Pyhäjoki by the Pikkarala–Jylkkä transmission line, which is part of the Coastal Line. The large substation will enable approximately 600 megawatts of wind power production to be connected to the main grid. The substation will also lay a stronger foundation for wind power in Kalajoki and Siikajoki, as it will be possible to redirect the generated power to the Valkeus substation in the event of an outage or disturbance.

The project has been planned in close collaboration with the wind power operators in the region, as well as the regional electricity network operator, Elenia. The total costs of the project are approximately EUR 30 million. The substation will be completed in 2023.

This decade, Fingrid will invest a record EUR 2 billion in electricity networks and substations on Finland’s main grid. The main grid will be substantially reinforced as the objective of making Finland climate-neutral by 2035 will require a significant increase in emission-free electricity generation and consumption. Fingrid’s annual investments amount to approximately EUR 200 million. Investments are made in dozens of projects in various parts of Finland. Seventy per cent of the investments in the main grid are in new construction, while the remainder are in refurbishing the existing grid.

Further information:
Jari Tiusanen, Fingrid Oyj, Project Manager
tel. +358 400 735 373