EIA report for Huittinen solar park finished – solar park to become one of the largest in Finland once completed

The environmental impact assessment report for the Huittinen solar park has been completed in accordance with the requirements of the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Southwest Finland (ELY Center). It is one of the first EIA reports prepared for industrial-scale solar power plants in Finland. The EIA phase was contracted and implemented by AINS Group.

The Huittinen solar power plant is one of the largest solar parks being planned for Finland. The planned output of the plant is 475 megawatts, and the target for annual electricity production is 475 gigawatt-hours, which corresponds to the annual electricity consumption of up to 95,000 households.

– Solar power plants of this size have not yet been built in Finland, so no previous data on the impacts of large ground-mounted solar parks in Finland was available when the EIA was being prepared. The assessment that was now carried out will also provide authorities and other consultants with valuable additional information for future solar power plant projects, says Unit Director Ruut Ronni from AINS Group.

Solar power plants are silent and discreet even if they cover a large surface area.

– A solar park with a large surface area affects the movement of people and animals in the region, which is why it was important to investigate this in the EIA. In the assessment, we identified areas with special natural values that will be preserved, since they are excluded from the project area, says Ronni.

Large surface area required in-depth study

The design and implementation of the Huittinen solar park are the responsibility of the renewable energy company OX2. The initiator of the solar park project is SAJM Holding Oy, a Finnish company that develops solar power plant projects.

– In Huittinen, the effects of the solar park on nature, people and the environment have been studied particularly carefully in accordance with the ELY Centre’s precautionary principle, because EIA reports of this size have not yet been prepared for solar power plants, says Project Manager Hannes Ojala from OX2.

The size of the area planned for the Huittinen power plant is about 700 hectares, and approximately half a million solar panels will be installed in the solar park. The size of the plant will be specified in further planning.

The area is located southwest of the centre of Huittinen. The electricity distribution infrastructure is ready, as several 40-kV transmission lines run through the project area and there are Fingrid’s substations.

– It makes sense to carry out projects of this magnitude only in locations that are close to the electricity network and electricity users. The Huittinen solar park is crossed by the Olkiluoto network, so the connection distance is very short, says Seppo Malmi, Chairman of the Board of SAJM Holding.

The EIA report of the Huittinen solar park will be available on the website of Finland’s environmental administration at Ymparisto.fi until 21 June 2024. The decision to invest in the implementation of the project is expected during 2025. Construction could begin in 2025–2026 and the solar park be commissioned in 2027 at the earliest.

Further information:

Ruut Ronni, Unit Manager, AINS Group
tel. +358 40 126 2300
ruut.ronni@ains.fi

Hannes Ojala, Project Manager, OX2
tel. +358 40 412 2328
hannes.ojala@ox2.com