Kemijärvi may demand assessment of combined impact of pumped storage plants

Kemijärvi may require companies planning four pumped storage hydropower plants in the municipality to assess their combined environmental impact on the local water system, according to Antti Puhalainen, head of the industrial and natural resources unit at the Finnish Permits and Supervision Agency.

“The municipality holds the planning monopoly and has the authority to demand such an assessment,” Puhalainen said.

The Kemijärvi city board decided on Monday to send a formal request by the end of June to the companies behind the projects, as well as to the Permits and Supervision Agency and the regional vitality center, demanding a joint impact study. Puhalainen noted that while the agency itself cannot compel such an assessment, municipalities can delay zoning if the cumulative effects remain unclear.

“The city should state that it is not prepared to advance zoning unless the combined impact is known. There is no point in zoning these areas if we do not know whether the cumulative environmental impact is acceptable,” he explained.

A city council initiative launched over a year ago by 13 members argued that separate environmental impact assessments fail to provide a comprehensive picture of the risks. Concerns were raised about contaminants accumulated in Kemijärvi’s bottom sediments over decades, which could degrade water quality or cause pollution if released.

The four proposed plants—Ailanga (Kemijoki Oy), Askanaava (Pohjolan Voima), Räisälä, and Kapustajoki (both Suomen Voima)—would rely on Kemijärvi’s water and the height differences provided by surrounding fells. Despite the city council’s earlier decision effectively banning pumped storage plants, Kemijärvi continues a preliminary study to gather independent data on their impacts. Kemijoki Oy has proceeded with the permitting phase for its Ailanga project regardless of local opposition.

The Finnish government supports pumped storage as a balancing power source, prioritizing it in permitting. The European Commission has granted Kemijoki Oy’s project a status of common interest, enabling EU funding applications and ensuring priority in permitting, as it aligns with EU energy and climate goals.

In its upcoming letter, the city will specify that it needs a full overview of the projects’ combined effects on Kemijärvi’s water system, including impacts on water flow, quality, sediment movement, and fish populations.