PVTIME – A key milestone in the rollout of offshore wind in Finland has been reached, as the country’s energy regulator has formally identified four coastal areas suitable for development. The authority has introduced streamlined administrative procedures to simplify the permitting process for developers in preparation for the first competitive tender, which is expected to be launched in the first half of 2027.
Technical assessments for grid connection are already underway alongside tender planning work. These evaluations will establish the available network capacity and identify any transmission upgrades required to export power from the offshore sites to onshore load centres. The four zones will be released for bidding in phases, with one site brought forward ahead of the remaining three.
The tender framework will not include direct state subsidies for successful developers. Winning parties will secure the right to carry out detailed marine surveys before submitting their full construction permit applications. At this stage, officials have not released fixed capacity figures for each zone, and the delivery of operational generation will remain conditional on the results of the tendering process, the progress of permitting and the completion of supporting transmission infrastructure.
