Two turbines go up at Kokkola harbour with more projects to follow

Two 1 MW turbines are going up at Kokkola harbour along Finland's north west coast. They will be owned by PVO-Innopower Oy, the energy development subsidiary of Helsinki-based independent power group Pohjolan Voima Oy. WinWind, a PVO affiliate, is supplying the WWD-1wind turbines for the EUR 2.5 million project, which has received a 20% subsidy from the government. In addition to this, the company is planning a network of wind farms, the first two of which will be located in Kristinankaupunki and Oulunsalo. Protests from the local community and the developer of a holiday home complex about the Kristinankaupunki project, three kilometres from the nearest dwelling, have been overruled by the Vaasa District Court -- but the protestors say they will appeal the decision. PVO-Innopower's CEO, Pekka Ottavainen, is unperturbed: "We intend to become the biggest player in the Finnish wind energy market," he says. PVO has also confirmed plans to build Finland's largest wind farm comprising 170 turbines with an annual generation capacity of 350 MW at Kokkola. The company hinted that construction could begin as soon as 2005.