Finland targets offshore wind auctions in 2025

The proposals include a planned law for offshore wind auctions to be passed in early 2025, with the first competitive bidding due to start by the end of that year. 

The legislation will seek to create a unified set of rules for offshore wind development in both Finland’s territorial waters and broader exclusive economic zone. 

The country’s transmissions systems operator (TSO), Fingrid, has already received proposals for offshore wind farms in five areas off the west in the Gulf of Bothnia, plus an additional area off the country’s south coast in the Baltic Sea, according to the plan. 

Finland is seeking to decarbonise its energy system in line with European Union goals for net zero carbon emissions by 2050. 

The country’s 2022 Climate Act commits it to becoming carbon neutral by 2035 — one of the fastest carbon neutrality targets in the world.

The new offshore wind action plan looks to build on momentum in the country’s onshore wind sector, which accounts for nearly all of Finland’s nearly 7.2GW of installed wind power capacity, according to Windpower Intelligence. 

Interest in offshore wind in Finland is growing rapidly, with more than 90GW of potential projects already having submitted early-stage inquiries for offshore wind connections to Fingrid, the documaent states. 

The TSO had received 17 preliminary applications for offshore wind by May of this year, but the those were rejected because the government was working on the new legislation due out next year.  

The new action lays out a role for offshore wind in the future production of green hydrogen in Finland, proposing it could be produced for both for domestic use and export in the Baltic region.