An essential part of the hybrid project is the Puutionsaari wind farm, with 49 wind turbines and a capacity of 350 MW, complemented by a 100 MWp solar farm on a former peat extraction site acquired by VSB. The solar project is currently in the approval process, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The technical aspects of the hybrid park were tested in Juurakko, Kalajoki. Here, VSB has realised its first wind farm with a connected PV field together with Solarigo Systems Oy, a partner that plans and builds solar power plants for companies and municipalities. Juurakko has seven wind turbines with a total capacity of 40 MW and a 13 MWp solar farm consisting of over 24 000 solar cells.
As the future of the energy mix, hybrid parks offer many advantages: combining wind and solar power, they provide a stable supply of energy all year round and their efficient design means they can be easily connected to the national grid without the need for additional transmission lines. The use of former peat extraction sites, as in Puutionsaari, is also an efficient use of land.
“The combination of solar and wind energy in hybrid projects is not just a sign of innovation, but also an essential step towards a comprehensive energy transition. It is not an option, it is a necessity,” said Dr Felix Grolman, CEO of VSB Group.
Seppo Tallgren, Managing Director of VSB Uusiutuva Energia Suomi Oy, added: “Investments in solar energy and hybrid technologies are central to Finland’s sustainable energy future. We have the expertise and capacity to develop customised hybrid solutions for the regions.”
Kimmo Hinno, Mayor of Haapavesi, concluded: “There are no industrial scale solar parks in our region yet, although solar energy has become very important in North Ostrobothnia. From the point of view of power transmission, it makes sense to install both solar and wind systems in the same areas. VSB is an excellent partner for our first pilot project as they already have practical experience with a similar park.”