Press release

Fortum to initiate EIA procedures for five wind turbines on the island of Bergö in Maalahti municipality

25 November 2009, 10:00 EET

Fortum Power and Heat Oy
Press release
25 November 2009

Fortum to initiate EIA procedures for five wind turbines on the island of Bergö in Maalahti municipality Fortum is to initiate EIA (environmental impact assessment) procedures for the construction of maximum five wind turbines on the island of Bergö. In the first stage, a so-called EIA programme will be created for the project, after which an EIA report will be produced. Both will be submitted to the West Finland Environment Centre, which acts as the coordinating authority. A less extensive environmental assessment from last summer already exists for the Bergö wind power plants. The environmental impact assessment that is now being started up is expected to take approximately one year. Town planning for the Bergö wind power area is also being initiated. The planning is led by the municipality of Maalahti, and it is expected to be completed in approximately a year's time. If the municipality and other authorities grant the necessary permits within the planned timeframe, the five wind power plants on Bergö could begin producing electricity in 2013. The plan is to build the wind power plants in a wooded area in the village of Granö in the south-western part of the island of Bergö. According to the regional land use plan of the Ostrobothnia region, the area Fortum has leased and partly purchased from the local land owners is a suitable area for wind power production. Fortum will begin wind measurements during December, when a temporary measurement mast will be erected in the wind plant area. The total capacity of the five 3- to 5-megawatt (MW) turbines on Bergö will be 15 to 20 MW depending on the selected turbine size. "The wind power plants are to be placed as far away from populated areas as possible, at least 500 metres away to minimise disturbances," says Sebastian Johansen from Fortum's wind power unit. Fortum supports increasing the use of carbon-dioxide free energy production and renewable sources of energy, and is doing its part to reach the ambitious goals in renewable energy that Finland has committed to. Fortum's aim is to increase wind power production significantly by 2025. Fortum, Power Division For further information please contact: Sebastian Johansen, Manager, Fortum tel. +358 40 354 3683