Wind power and a battery materials plant are accelerating the expansion of the Tuovila substation near Vaasa
Fingrid is expanding the Tuovila substation near Vaasa to meet higher requirements for electricity generation and consumption in the region. The investment was necessitated by the increase in wind power generation in the region and the planned battery materials plant in Vaasa. A transformational shift in electricity generation and consumption requires the main grid to be reinforced and system security to be improved.
The large-scale substation investment, worth around EUR 14 million, will make it possible to connect wind power to the main grid in increasing quantities. Approximately 800 megawatts of new wind power is expected to be built within the Tuovila substation’s catchment area by 2024. A further stimulus for the investment came from the planned battery materials plant, which will increase the need for electricity in the Vaasa region significantly. The factory is due to begin operating in 2024. A transformational shift in electricity generation and consumption requires the main grid to be reinforced and system security to be improved.
“An important energy cluster has developed in the Vaasa region. The expansion of the Tuovila substation will enable electricity-intensive industrial investments and additional electricity generation in the region,” says Timo Kiiveri from Fingrid.
This decade, Fingrid will invest a record EUR 2 billion in electricity networks and substations. The company’s annual investments amount to approximately EUR 200 million, covering dozens of projects all over Finland. The expansion of the Tuovila substation will consist of a new large power transformer, connection solutions for wind power and the battery materials plant, and transmission line arrangements in the region. The Tuovila substation expansion will cost around EUR 14 million, making it a highly significant part of Fingrid’s investment strategy. The expanded substation will be commissioned in 2023.
Further information:
Timo Kiiveri
SVP, Asset Management
tel. +358 40 543 3039