EPV Solar Power
Solar power as a renewable energy source continues to grow in popularity. In 2022, EPV not only set up its own solar power company, but also received EUR 12 million in investment aid for its first industrial-scale solar power plant.
Preparations for the first solar power plant have started
2022 was an important year for EPV in terms of solar power. Although the company has been exploring solar power since 2018, it took a bigger step in moving forward with it in 2021 when it set up a dedicated solar technology team, and in 2022 when it established the company EPV Solar Power Ltd. Owned wholly by EPV, this subsidiary is developing the production of industrial solar power in Finland. Solar power excellently supports EPV Energy’s New Electricity Revolution Strategy, which has renewable electricity at its core.
2022 also saw the start of preparatory work for EPV’s first industrial-scale solar farm, including the drawing up of cost estimates and an application for NextGenerationEU recovery funding.
“In December, the solar farm planned for Lapua received a significant boost when the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment granted the project investment aid of EUR 12 million from the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF),” says Sami Kuitunen, Managing Director of EPV Solar Power Ltd.
One of Finland’s largest solar power projects
The plan is to build the new solar power plant in the large peat production area of Heinineva in Lapua, which is virtually shade-free. Peat production in the area ended in 2022.
“As the solar park will be built on phased-out peat diggings, we have studied different types of foundations extensively over the past year. We have carried out practical tests on different types of subsoil. Now our solar power team has a clear idea of the best alternatives for foundations on different types of soil.”
Once completed, the Heinineva solar park will be one of the largest in Finland. With an annual output of around 90 gigawatt hours (GWh), it will increase EPV’s renewable electricity production by roughly 6 per cent. At the same time, it will reduce the company’s carbon dioxide emissions.
The investment project is set to start in 2023. The final tests and commissioning will take place in late 2025.
Key figures for the Heinineva solar farm:
- Area size 170 hectares
- Approximately 200,000 solar panels
- Plant’s total output 100 MWp (megawatt peak)
- Plant’s average output during its life cycle approximately 90–95 GWh per year
- Length of panel mounts 100–150 km
Solar power holds great appeal
Solar power is the fastest growing form of electricity generation in relative terms worldwide. In Finland, property-specific solar power is popular.
“Measurements show that solar power is the most popular form of electricity generation among private individuals. Industrial solar power has also attracted a lot of interest in Finland,” Kuitunen says.
EPV Solar Power actively monitors technological and price developments in the sector. Its measuring facility in Vuorenneva, Alavus, studies solar power production under various conditions and using various types of solar panels, and investigates and works to improve the predictability of solar power. The company is also planning other industrial-scale projects in addition to the Heinineva solar park.
“EPV owns a lot of land that is suitable for solar power generation. At the end of 2022, a total of about 270 megawatts worth of projects had been secured for project development, and about 120 megawatts worth of project sites had been submitted for further processing.”
