Hattula plans Finland’s tallest wind turbines despite opposition

Hattula is considering nine wind turbines up to 280 metres tall, which would make them Finland’s highest. More than 200 objections were submitted to the plan for the Niinimäki area, Yle reports.

The turbines would be built across a forested area of more than 1,000 hectares. The proposal originally allowed a maximum height of 300 metres, but that limit was lowered to 280 metres. Each turbine would have a capacity of 6 to 10 megawatts, for a total project capacity of about 54 to 90 megawatts.

Hattula’s acting land-use manager, Juha Kervinen, said the number of objections exceeded the number of opinions submitted on an earlier draft. He had not yet reviewed their contents. The municipal council is expected to vote on the plan early next year.

Three conservation associations are calling for the proposal to be rejected. They say the project would harm nature, nearby lakes and the landscape, and that the impacts have not been adequately addressed. Project documents identify significant noise increases in the surrounding area, very adverse effects on some bird species covered by the EU Birds Directive, and major negative effects on the nationally valuable open farmland landscapes along Hämeen Härkätie.

A resident survey in autumn 2024 drew nearly 700 responses: 88 per cent of respondents opposed the project, and 86 per cent said it had mainly prompted negative feelings. A separate poll conducted in summer 2026, in which 300 Hattula residents were interviewed, found that 42 per cent supported the wind farm and 36 per cent opposed it. The remaining 22 per cent had no clear position. In that poll, 61 per cent viewed wind power generally positively. The methods differed: participants were selected for the 2026 poll, while the 2024 survey was open to anyone.

Myrsky Energia’s project development manager, Ilkka Oikarinen, said the proposed height reflects the aim of using turbine models that generate electricity efficiently. He said he could not say whether shorter turbines would be financially viable without new calculations.

Project estimates put the municipality’s tax revenue from the turbines at about 8.8 million euros over their 30-year lifespan. The associations are also concerned that nearby property values could fall. The plan’s supporting documents cite a Swedish study indicating that property prices near wind turbines may decline by tens of per cent, while stating that no equivalent study has been carried out in Finland.

The proposal concerns turbines that would be taller than the current highest onshore wind turbines in Finland, which are in Säkylä and reach 251 metres including their blades.