Finland has launched the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) programme for Ilmatar’s largest offshore wind project, Bothnia, as the project proceeds to the consultation phase.
The EIA work is carried out in cooperation with Ramboll Finland.
Ilmatar’s Bothnia project is located in the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and is divided into two sub-areas, Bothnia and Bothnia West.
During development, the areas have been optimized and thus reduced – Bothnia is now about half its original size, and Bothnia West has been reduced by about 40 per cent, the Finnish developer said.
”At this stage, we have chosen to proceed on areas with minimal overlap with other interests, such as shipping and fishing. We have also considered the depth conditions; the optimized project areas have a depth between 40 and 120 metres,” said Jori Sihvonen , Ilmatar’s offshore project manager for the EEZ.
Despite the optimization, Bothnia remains one of Finland’s largest offshore wind projects, Ilmatar said. The two areas cover nearly 1,200 square kilometres and have a potential energy production capacity of 4 GW.
With the launch of the EIA programme, the Bothnia project now enters its consultation phase, where the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY) in Southwest Finland accepts statements and views from stakeholders, other authorities and the public. The last date for submitting comments is 14 June 2024.