The national grid operator, Fingrid (Finnish company in charge of the main electricity grid and transmission system), has announced restrictions on granting new electricity connections in Uusimaa, Southwest Finland, and Häme for the years 2025–2027.
“This comes at a historic moment when we should be doing everything possible to connect new power generation to the grid, strengthen the network nationwide, and attract industrial investments to Finland,” says Ted Apter, a growth policy specialist at Suomen Ekonomit (Business School Graduates in Finland).
Apter hopes that the government’s mid-term budget negotiations, as well as the growth task force strategy group – kasvuriihi – led by Risto Murto, will take decisive action to push Fingrid into significantly expanding grid capacity.
“We need to reinforce the power grid and build a hydrogen network to increase clean energy production fivefold. This would give Finland a long-term supply of relatively clean and affordable energy, making the country more attractive for industrial investments and high-value jobs,” Apter envisions.
Urgent Action Needed to Prevent Bottlenecks
In last autumn’s budget session, the government committed to ensuring that Fingrid and Gasgrid – equivalent of Fingrid for gas – have the necessary investment capacity to prevent energy networks from becoming bottlenecks for economic growth anywhere in Finland.
“Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and speed up efforts to strengthen the grid. We cannot allow power grid capacity to become a barrier to growth. For instance, Finland has a unique opportunity to attract jobs from Germany’s chemical industry right now,” Apter emphasizes.
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