Civic group seeks to halt six-region power line project

A civic movement has urged the Finnish government and grid company Fingrid to change or suspend plans for the Harjulinja power transmission project, Yle reports.

The planned line would be 96 metres wide and run for hundreds of kilometres from Kouvola to Pyhäjärvi across six regions. The movement Järvi-Suomen Puolesta says the project could cause environmental and rural impacts.

The group is also concerned that the line would encourage more industrial development, including data centres and wind farms, in the natural areas of Finland’s Lake District. It says the increase in data centre projects, including those planned in Kouvola, reflects what it calls “data centre fever”.

Järvi-Suomen Puolesta is calling for the project to be suspended for one or two years, for the line to be made at least half as large and for the northern and southern sections to be considered as one overall project.

The northern section would run from Pyhäjärvi to Kangasniemi, while the southern section would continue from Kangasniemi to Kouvola. The group’s chair, Pekka Väisänen, suggested that the section between Pihtipudas and Heinola could follow Highway 4.

“The area east of Highway 4 should be spared,” Väisänen said, arguing that the forests, lakes, fields and village settlements of the Lake District form a valuable whole for Finland.

The movement has organised petition drives in nearly 10 municipalities and plans to continue opposing the project and Fingrid during the autumn.

Harjulinja is currently undergoing an environmental impact assessment. The northern section is moving towards the report stage, while the assessment programme for the southern section is expected to begin towards the end of the year.

Fingrid senior specialist Marja Nuottajärvi said several preliminary route options had been planned for the southern section. One will be selected for construction, although more options may be added during the assessment process.

Fingrid received the civic movement’s letter on Monday. Nuottajärvi said the company always expects feedback on its projects, and that information from landowners can help the consultant conducting the environmental assessment.

Nuottajärvi said a suspension of at least one year was unlikely because there is already a need for the Harjulinja. She said delaying the project could accelerate later stages, while environmental issues should be carefully examined during the assessment and permitting processes.

According to Nuottajärvi, the line could be completed in six years, leaving time for further issues to be taken into account, including after the environmental impact assessment.