The Government of Åland is working on establishing an auction process for seabed leasing and concession allocation for offshore wind in the northern maritime areas of Åland .
The Åland government recently issued a notice seeking a commercial advisor who would prepare, administer, and manage the auction process for developers interested in building and operating an offshore wind farm in the area(s).
According to the notice, the auction is planned to be organised under the Sunnanvind project, an offshore wind development initiated and led by the Government of Åland itself.
The government drew up a maritime spatial plan (MSP) in 2021. The plan identified a significant opportunity for the production of offshore wind power with the total area of suitable sites in the northern and southern waters off its coasts spanning about 1,000 square kilometres.
The Sunnanvind project is specifically working with the two northern energy areas designated in Åland’s MSP, which have a combined size of 674 square kilometres and are located 15-45 kilometres from the coast.
The Åland government plans to install up to 4 GW of offshore wind capacity under the Sunnavind project which would bring an annual energy production of 20 TWh, approximately 30 per cent of Finland’s current electricity production.
According to the Sunnanvind project website, the government is required to submit its final report to the European Commission no later than 30 June 2026 and will continue to drive and monitor Åland’s interests throughout the entire lifespan of the offshore wind farms.