The low rumble of an excavator breaks the silence of the riverbank at Tallikangas, in Vaala, Finland. Furrows one metre wide and half a metre deep criss-cross the field in a grid pattern, as excavation work enters its second day. The aim is to investigate whether the planned route for a 400 + 110 kilovolt transmission line runs through an archaeologically valuable area, perhaps containing remains of Stone-Age settlements.
Support for managing the landscape under transmission lines is available from Fingrid if certain criteria are met. The support encourages people to take action. The applicant can be a landowner, other private person or, for example, a recreational association.
In Finnish nature, hogweed is an invasive alien species that smothers the native vegetation as it spreads. It is also dangerous to people, because the sap causes burns when it reacts with sunlight. There is good reason to be careful when eliminating the plant.
Fingrid is asking land owners and residents living near transmission lines to provide feedback as the basis for developing communications, also using new tools. E-mail, Facebook and SMS messages have been tested for land owner communications in the Vanaja–Tikinmaa construction project. An informative tower erection display attracted a large audience in Hämeenlinna.
There are many ways for a landowner to utilise transmission line areas. Would you like some extra income from Christmas tree sales, or are environmentally friendly values close to your heart? Various land-use tips can be found in the new Landowner’s idea cards.
Fingrid has received several inquiries about locating solar power plants in transmission line areas. However, it is not possible from the main grid’s perspective. Locating a wind power plant near a main grid transmission line is also problematic. Guidelines concerning wind and solar power plants are included in the updated planning guidelines meant for land-use planners from municipalities.
Supporting the diversity of nature and varied recreational use enables versatile use of the land under transmission lines. Rather than emphasising what may not or cannot be done there, the focus is on the different uses that are permitted. European transmission system operators are making diverse use of transmission line clearings for different purposes. Fingrid is part of this work.
