Fortum Wind Park, Finland

Onshore wind plays a central role in the transition to renewable energy in Finland, and here the energy company Fortum is a significant player. In the Nordics, Fortum already has together with its partners 350 MW of wind power in operation and 380 MW under construction.  NKT has been selected to supply 110 kV power cables for several of the company’s onshore wind projects in Finland.

Fortum has several new wind power projects in Finland, especially on the west coast. In January 2022, construction work began for the two new onshore wind farms Pjelax-Böle and Kristinestad Norr located in Närpes and Kristinestad, where NKT is supplying approximately 44 km of 110 kV power cables.

“Work has progressed on schedule, and we expect the wind parks to be fully operational in spring 2024,” Fortum Project Manager Risto Meskanen explains. His managerial responsibilities cover electrical aspects of the project.

NKT is now involved in a Fortum construction project for the first time. A cable supply contract was signed on 1 March 2022. “We visited the NKT plant at Falun in Sweden in September 2022. Factory trials confirmed our view that NKT cables were the right choice for us,” says Meskanen.

For NKT the collaboration with Fortum is an important step forward in the ambition to support the green transition in Finland.  

“Working with Fortum is a great opportunity, especially in the field of renewable energy. This is the first delivery from NKT to Fortum in Finland, and I hope that collaboration will continue in future,” says Sami Muranen, NKT Sales Manager in Finland.

Some 44 kilometres of 1600 mm2 110 kV aluminium cable will be supplied to the wind farm construction projects. The cable has a diameter of 96 mm and a weight of 9.4 kg/m. This length of cable requires 72 reels of diameter 3-3.2 metres, each weighing up to nine tonnes. With a full trailer truck carrying only four such cable reels, transporting this quantity of cable from plant to construction site will require a total of 18 truckloads.

The completed wind farms will accommodate a total of 56 wind turbines capable of generating 380 megawatts of electric power. This amounts in practice to an annual renewable energy generating output of roughly 1.1 terawatt hours. The wind farm currently under construction will indeed be one of the three largest wind farms in Finland when completed. “This is also an important project in terms of security of supply,” Meskanen explains.

The cable installation began in September 2022 and will continue until January 2023. Simons Infra Oy Ab from Närpes is responsible for the practical installation work, with overall responsibility for the site taken by Suvic Oy, an Oulu-based company specialising in energy construction.

“The installation work has progressed smoothly, with no disruptions or delays in deliveries. It has been satisfying to work with NKT,” Risto Meskanen says.

The 110 kV transmission line will run partly in underground cables and partly in overhead power lines, with both transmission methods applied in the construction project.

“This combined approach reflects the requirements of zoning and an environmental impact assessment, enabling due consideration of environmental and land use factors,” Meskanen explains.

Fortum is building the Pjelax-Böle Kristinestad Norr wind farm together with the energy company Helen Ltd.