Suomen Aurinkovoima to build an 80 MWp solar park with a 35 MW battery in Nivala, an investment of about €50 million

Suomen Aurinkovoima Oy, a company owned by four Finnish energy firms, Oulun Energia, Oulun Seudun Sähkö, Savon Voima and Vantaan Energia, announced on Friday, 6 November, an investment in a hybrid solar and storage plant in Nivala, North Ostrobothnia. According to the press release, it is the company’s largest project to move to construction.

The figures. The solar park will have 80 MWp and estimated annual output of about 77 GWh, equal to the consumption of around 4,000 electrically heated detached houses. The associated battery will have 35 MW of power and 70 MWh of capacity, and the total value of the project is about €50 million. According to local newspaper Nivala-lehti, the plant will be built on the farmland at Näljänneva, near the town centre.

What was said. “The Nivala project is a significant step in increasing domestic solar power. Storage brings flexibility to production and allows the whole to be used in versatile ways on the electricity market,” said chief executive Jukka Kaarre. The town manager, Päivi Karikumpu, called the investment “very welcome” news that strengthens the locality’s position as an investment destination. With the battery, the electricity produced can be shifted to the hours when the market needs it, the company explains.

Background. The project lies mainly on farmland and other areas already modified by people; the area’s natural values have been mapped, and a climate study shows, according to the company, that the plant’s lifetime climate benefits exceed the emissions from construction and operation. The work will be carried out by Oomi Solar, to which the press release attributes about 10% of Finland’s installed solar capacity. Suomen Aurinkovoima aims to build dozens of new solar parks across the country by 2030.

What next. Construction starts in early 2027 and the plant is due to be completed in 2029, Yle and Kaleva also reported.

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