New working group and legislative project launched to streamline offshore wind projects

Minister of Climate and the Environment Kai Mykkänen appointed a working group, whose task is to find ways to promote offshore wind power in Finland. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment will also launch a legislative project on offshore wind power located in Finland’s exclusive economic zone. The measures will implement the objective of the Government Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo to ambitiously promote the construction of offshore wind power and to clarify the rules related to it.

Working group to find ways to give Finland a competitive edge in the Baltic Sea

The working group on offshore wind power will investigate means to improve Finland’s competitive position in offshore wind power production compared with other Baltic Sea countries and to promote other targets on offshore wind set out in the Government Programme. The term of the working group is 24 October 2023–30 June 2024. 
 
The working group is chaired by Chief Specialist Outi Vilén and vice-chaired by Senior Specialist Olli Salo from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The other members of the group come from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of Defence, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of the Environment, Finnish Energy, Fingrid, Metsähallitus, Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, Finnish Wind Power Association and regional councils. 
 
The premise of the work is that offshore wind turbines will be built on market terms. However, large-scale construction and deployment of offshore wind will require a clear and predictable operating environment as well as infrastructure necessary for the construction and maintenance of projects. In addition, offshore wind must be compatible with other users of marine areas and the negative impacts on these users must be minimised. State and other public actors can help fulfil these conditions with their measures, which the working group now aims to bring together.

Legislative project to clarify rules for wind power construction in the exclusive economic zone

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has launched a legislative project to clarify the rules of procedure for offshore wind in the exclusive economic zone. The Ministry’s plan is to amend regulation so that it will better reflect the special characteristics of offshore wind power. The new act on offshore wind in the exclusive economic zone would describe the method for allocating the areas for project developers as well as the permits that would be granted for offshore wind projects under the act.
 
The intention is to submit the legislative proposal to Parliament in autumn 2024. The consultation round is expected to start in May–June 2024.

Active participation of stakeholders desired – First public event on 2 November

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment hopes that interest groups will actively participate in the drafting of the act. The first stakeholder event will be held on Teams on 2 November at 14.30–15.30. Please use this link. to register for the event by 31 October. The language of the event is Finnish.
 
Inquiries:
Outi Vilén, Chief Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 047 016