Ilmatar Secures Survey Permits for Multi-Gigawatt Wind Farm Sites Offshore Finland

Planning & Permitting

October 20, 2023, by Adnan Durakovic

The Finnish Government has granted survey permits for Ilmatar Offshore’s two new project areas, Bothnia and Bothnia West, in the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone.

Ilmatar Offshore has identified two new areas suitable for offshore wind in the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone.

The project areas are called Bothnia and Bothnia West and are located in the middle of the Bothnian Sea, about 100 kilometres off the west coast of Finland.

”This is a massive area that creates great potential for developing energy-intensive industries in neighboring areas,” said Anna Häger, Regional Manager at Ilmatar Offshore.

”This is another step we at Ilmatar are taking to strengthen our position as the leading independent power producer in the Nordic region and also a sign of our ability to grow and take a long-term view in an ever-changing market environment.”

Bothnia and Bothnia West are together the largest offshore wind development area in Finland, Ilmatar said. The exploration license covers an area of almost 2,200 square kilometres.

”Roughly estimated, it can accommodate a wind farm with a capacity of over 6 GW. This means excellent opportunities for fossil-free electrification in Finland and Sweden,” said Jori Sihvonen, project manager for Ilmatar’s offshore development in Finland’s EEZ.

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The survey license means that seabed surveys, detailed measurements, and evaluation of the current state of the project area can begin. Ilmatar has already started work on the environmental impact assessment in cooperation with Ramboll Finland, and the practical surveys will begin early in 2024.

”If the project is realized, electricity production could start in the early 2030s. What we as developer and independent energy producer need now, to realize this and other offshore wind projects in the EEZ, is government guidance on how to obtain exclusivity for the actual development of the areas,” says Jori Sihvonen.

The Bothnia area covers 1,395 square kilometres with water depths ranging between 60 metres and 120 metres. Bothnia West covers 803 square kilometres with water depths ranging between 35 metres and 120 metres.