Fingrid to build two synchronous condensers on Finland's west coast, an investment of about €110 million

Fingrid, Finland's electricity transmission system operator, announced on Monday, 9 November, that it will build two synchronous condensers on the country's west coast, an investment of about €110 million. The first will be installed at the Arkkukallio substation and is scheduled for 2030; the second, at the Hirvisuo substation, for 2031.

Why it is needed. On the west coast, wind capacity in operation, under construction or planned totals nearly 8,000 MW, according to Fingrid, and few synchronous generators operate in the area to stabilise the system naturally. Converter-connected wind turbines do not inherently resist changes in voltage and frequency; with high wind output and grid outages, the regional system can become unstable, and in a fault wind farms may lose their connection.

What the equipment brings. The condensers should reduce the need to curtail wind output when parts of the grid are out of service and allow new wind and solar capacity to be connected as new 400 kV lines on the west coast are completed. They complement the synchronous condenser at the Jylkkä substation in Kalajoki, the first of its kind in Finland, commissioned in 2025, and the static compensator (STATCOM) in Kristinestad, expected in 2027.

Context. Since October 2026, new wind and solar plants in areas with a lot of renewable generation must have grid-stabilising capabilities, for example through energy storage, eSTATCOMs or synchronous condensers. The requirements do not apply to existing plants or to projects that already have a connection agreement.

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