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Finnish minister touts electricity self-sufficiency
(EurActiv, 12 Sep 2022) Finland will be energy self-sufficient within two years or less, Economy Minister Mika Lintilä told Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE’s current affairs programme on Saturday.
Lintilä commented on the country’s diversified energy mix and increasing domestic production, especially in nuclear and wind power.
In 2021, Finland imported 20.5% of its consumed electricity, and 10% came from Russia.
But the proclaimed self-sufficiency depends greatly on Olkiluoto 3, a nuclear reactor that is still in the testing phase after facing a series of delays and technical issues.
The plant’s output exceeded 1,000 megawatts and is expected to be at total capacity in December, Teollissuden Voila, the plant’s operator, said on 8 September. Once at total capacity, the plant is expected to cover about 14% of the country’s electricity needs.
Meanwhile, Finland is also looking into wind as an energy resource.
On top of the extra 2,000 megawatts in new wind power expected to be generated in 2022, according to transmission system operator Fingrid, estimates by business paper Kauppalehti show that Finland has built more wind turbines in the first six months of 2022 than in the whole of 2021. By the end of the year, wind power may constitute 12% of electricity needs.
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EurActiv, 12 Sep 2022: Finnish minister touts electricity self-sufficiency
