Finland Times

 

File picture of electricity network in Espoo. Photo Lehtikuva.

Finland is increasingly becoming dependent on electricity imported from neighbouring countries.

 

Fingrid, the national electricity transmission grid operator, in a release said the country has become extremely dependent on import of electricity because of delay in installation of the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power unit and a significant reduction in Russian import.

 

Therefore, Finland has to import almost 3,000 MW of basic power to cover the domestic shortfall.

 

The basic power is imported from other Nordic countries as well as from Russia and Estonia.

 

This year has however seen a reverse as electricity has mainly been exported to Estonia. The flow of electricity from Russia has also been much less than in recent years.

 

Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant unit at Olkiluoto. Photo Lehtikuva.

Fingrid’s transmission connections to Sweden have seen much traffic this year. For the period between January and August, Finland imported 12.7 terawatts of electricity from Sweden, posting an increase of 62 per cent than in the previous year.

 

With regard to the market, import could be even greater than the transmission connections can handle. Therefore, this year the regional price has also been 25 per cent higher in Finland than in other Nordic countries. 

 

The country’s electricity system can withstand normal disturbances, even in a situation of maximal imports. However, its capacity to cope with serious power plant or transmission connection faults is weaker than normal. Faults in transmission connections are also immediately reflected in the electricity prices. 

 

The present electricity import situation will continue until 2018, that is, until Olkiluoto 3 commences its commercial production.

 

Fingrid is planning a new connection to Sweden, which would be completed by 2024 at the latest.