Helen to significantly increase its wind power production – total investment of EUR 100 million in a new wind farm

Artist’s impressions of the Lakiakangas 3 wind farm. Image source: CPC Finland Oy

Helen’s wind power production will increase fivefold by 2022. The Lakiakangas 3 wind farm project is a major step towards increasing renewable wind power: the project will be implemented in partnership with CPC Finland in Ostrobothnia, close to the town of Kristiinankaupunki. In addition to the wind farm, Helen and CPC Finland will set up an electricity transmission company, which will be responsible for transmitting the electricity generated by the wind farm to the national grid. The total investment of the project is almost EUR 100 million. Helen owns 60 per cent and CPC Finland 40 per cent of the joint undertakings.  

The wind farm Lakiakangas 3 consists of 20 turbines with a total power output of 86 MW. The objective is to expand the wind farm with another three turbines at a later date. Helen will purchase all of the electricity generated by the wind farm company, and it will provide the company with electricity market services.

“The Lakiakangas 3 wind farm is a significant investment, and it supports Helen’s target of carbon-neutral energy production in 2035. Our business customers are extremely interested in the new way of acquiring wind power from a designated wind park – this way Helen will make the possibilities of a new energy era even more widely accessible to everyone. By combining forces with CPC, we are taking another major step towards a carbon-neutral future,” says Helen’s Director Harri Mattila.  

“We are delighted to have Helen as our partner in the Lakiakangas 3 wind power project. The project is already the third one for us, and it is the largest wind farm that we have built in Finland until now. The strengths of CPC and Helen that complement each other in different areas enable an extremely efficient project implementation,” says Erik Trast, Managing Director of CPC Finland.  

The permits needed for the operations have been granted for the wind farm company, and the construction work of the farm is underway. The first turbines in the area will be erected in spring 2021, and wind power production will start towards the end of 2021. Helen’s customers will be able to purchase wind power generated by the farm in 2022. The Lakiakangas 1 and Lakiakangas 2 wind farms located nearby have been in production since 2017 and 2019.  

Wind power is one of the means towards carbon neutrality  

Last year, Helen produced 70 gigawatt-hours of wind power per year through its associated company Suomen Hyötytuuli. As a result of the Lakiakangas 3 project, Helen’s wind power production will increase to 350 gigawatt-hours per year. In addition, the ongoing investments in associated companies will also increase Helen’s wind power production.  

Helen’s target is carbon-neutral energy production in 2035. Wind power is one of a number of means of achieving the carbon neutrality target in a profitable way.

Facts

• The wind farm Lakiakangas 3 and the electricity transmission company will be implemented as joint undertakings, with Helen owning 60 per cent and CPC Finland 40 per cent of the companies.
• The investment will significantly increase Helen’s volume of wind power.
• At first, Lakiakangas 3 will consist of 20 wind turbines, with a power output of 86 MW.
• The foundation work started in summer 2020.
• The wind turbines will be installed in spring-summer 2021.
• The electricity transmission connection and substation will be commissioned in spring 2021.
• Wind power production will begin in late 2021.
• Energy generated by the new wind farm will be available to Helen’s customers in 2022.