€6.6 million investment granted for solar power project in Northern Savonia

The Ministry of the Environment and Climate has granted a €6.6 million investment subsidy for an innovative solar power project in Northern Savonia. The funding is allocated to Kaskisuon Aurinkovoima Oy for the construction of a solar power plant spanning approximately 115 hectares. This initiative is led by Energiequelle Oy, which specializes in renewable energy.

The project’s aim is to pilot a new operational model that integrates industrial-scale solar power generation with peatland restoration. The area will be rehabilitated by rewetting and restoring its salt flora. The industrial-sized solar power plant is set to be constructed on a decommissioned peat extraction site in Joroinen municipality.

“Instead of draining the wetland area, the land beneath the solar panels will be allowed to retain moisture, bringing the area’s hydrology as close as possible to its state prior to peat extraction,” explains project manager Adele Halttunen in a statement from Energiequelle.

The Kaskisuon solar power area is located about 14 kilometers south of Joroinen’s center. Once operational, the facility is expected to generate approximately 69.9 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually. This production would be comparable to the yearly consumption of about 3,300 electrically heated single-family homes or 21,000 apartments. Additionally, the project is anticipated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 2,943 tons per year, which would also decrease greenhouse gas emissions released from the soil.

The investment support is funded by the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).