The transition from fossil fuels to a carbon-neutral society is a major challenge from the standpoint of the security of supply. The National Emergency Supply Agency, which is responsible for ensuring that society continues to function in the event of a crisis or major disturbance, is undertaking four programmes to reform its approach, with the security of the energy supply and the energy revolution in a key role.
For the new Secretary-General, the next five years is all about change, innovation and energy system integration.
Flexibility is required to ensure that the power system is able to maintain a balance between generation and consumption as renewable forms of energy become more prevalent. Grid energy storage offsets brief generation shortfalls and enables rapid adjustments.
The share of electricity generated from sources that vary according to the weather is on the rise in Finland. At the same time, it is becoming increasingly challenging to maintain the balance between electricity generation and consumption in the power system. At the moment, it is important to ensure that nobody with flexible electricity generation capacity faces any financial barriers that would prevent them from participating in balancing the system.
EPV Energy is one of the trailblazers in industrial-scale wind power generation in Finland: in 2019, approximately 17.4 per cent of EPV’s energy was generated from wind power. EPV Windpower Ltd has wind farms in Teuva, Vaasa, Ilmajoki and Kristinestad.
Anni Mikkonen, CEO of the Finnish Wind Power Association, says that the wind power sector still has plenty to learn about how to operate in the balancing power market.
Steel company SSAB aims to be the first to market with fossil-free steel in 2026. This is possible using a process developed by the HYBRIT project, whereby in an iron reduction process hydrogen is used instead of coal.
In June, Technology Finland published its industry roadmap, which supports the goal of making Finland climate neutral by 2035. The key factors will be functional markets, RDI activities and low-emission electricity.
Solutions that turn electricity into a product – known as Power-to-X solutions – support emission-free, renewable electricity generation and introduce flexibility to electricity consumption. Electricity can also be used to produce carbon neutral or even carbon negative products that can be transported and stored. Fingrid is making preparations for a significant increase in electricity consumption in the coming decades.
Wpd Finland is building its operations on long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs). It follows the same long-term policy in the technical and financial services agreements for wind farms – agreements that cover the entire service lifetimes of the farms.
