Renewable energy in Finland - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Renewable energy in Finland of electricity was (2005): Water 60%, forest industry black liquor

Black liquor

Black liquor is the spent cooking liquor from the kraft process when digesting pulpwood into paper pulp removing lignin, hemicelluloses and other extractives from the wood to free the cellulose fibers....

22%, other wood residues 16%, wind power 0.2% and other RE 1 %. The European objectives are: 22% renewable source electricity and 12% renewable of primary energy in 2010 (directive and white paper). This includes e.g. the objectives of 40 GW wind power, 3 GW PV and 5.75 % biofuels (2010). The wind power objective was reached in 2005. The leading wind power countries have set new, more ambitious goals.

Olkiluoto 3 nuclear plant represents 85% of Finland's planned investments in new power generation between 2006-2010. Investments in new renewables, including wind and solar heating, is negligible. Renewable energy targets (wind, solar, biogas, biofuel) have not been taken seriously or binding in the energy politics development program as Finland will not fulfill even its modest national renewable energy targets for the year 2010.

Energy in Finland

Finland's energy consumption increased 44% in electricity and 30% in total energy use during the period 1990-2006. The increase in electricity consumption of 15,000 GWh (1995–2005) was more than Finland's total hydroelectric power capacity. The consumption increased almost equally in all sectors (industry, residential, and services). The share of renewable electricity in Finland has been stable (1998–2005): 11-12% plus yearly variable hydroelectric power, totaling 24-27%. The forest industries contributed 57 % of the RE power generation via black liquor

Black liquor

and wood burning in 1990. By 2005 this share had grown to 67%. The rest consisting primarily of hydroelectric power. As with most first world countries, the vast majority of commercially viable hydroelectric sites in Finland have already been developed. The forest industry uses 30% of all electricity in Finland (1990–2005). Its process wastes, wood residues, and black liquor were used to produce 7-8000 GWh of electricity in 2005. However, during that year electricity consumption fell 10 % compared to 2004 as a result of a prolonged forest industry labour dispute. Finland's power consumption was (2005) 17.3 MW electricity per capita compared to Germany 7.5 MW per capita. This number includes the power losses of the distribution.

The objective of RE (2005) of electricity was 35% (1997–2010). However, (2006) the Finnish objective was dropped to 31.5% (1997–2010). According to ‘Renewables Global Status Report’ Finland aims to increase RE only 2 % in 13 years. This objective to add the RE use with 2% in 13 years is among the most modest of all the EU countries.

Finnish CO₂ emissions grew 14.5% (1990:2004), while the EU average was - 0.6%. According to the Finnish RE organizations and Finnish public the potential of RE increase in Finland is huge. Owing to its exceptionally low population density and abundance of natural resources.

Politics

Finland does not use feed-in tariffs, fixed premiums, green certificate systems or tendering procedures. From the European countries, Finland, Malta

Malta

Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...

and Slovenia

Slovenia

Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...

are the only ones (2006) that use only tax incentives to promote wind energy and other renewable electricity. Finland has no obligations or binding recommendations for the power companies to promote RE.

Wind power
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....

Wind power in Finland
Year	MW	GWh
1990	0	0
1991	1	1
1992	1	2
1993	5	4
1994	5	5
1995	6	11
1996	7	11
1997	12	17
1998	17	24
1999	38	49
2000	38	77
2001	39	70
2002	43	63
2003	52	92
2004	82	120
2005	82	168
2006	86	153
2007	109	188
2008	142	261
2009	147	277
2010	197

EWEA has predicted that wind power will cover 13-16 % of EU electricity consumption with 180 GW capacity (2020). Europe's total installed capacity is 48 042 MW (2006).

In Finland the capacity of wind power is (2006) 86 MW. This is 0.2 % of electricity consumption. The objective is 494 MW (1995–2010). In 11 years Finland has installed 17 % of its objective. Wind power could produce at least 20–30 % of Finland's energy demand. The capacity 3 500 MW (8 TWh) corresponds 10 % of electricity consumption in Finland. Implementation has slowed down by inefficient support systems. The lack of confidence in the stability of electricity and subsidies has prevented the small power companies to build wind power. According to a public opinion survey in the Pori district 97 % of the area consumers supported addition of wind power (2000). According to the Finnish Ministry of Trade and Industry the goal of 500 MW of wind power (2010) is not possible in Finland, as it would demand intensive tax reductions that are prohibited by the European Union legislation.

Biomass
Biomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....

Finland uses a lot of wood as energy based on the forest industry. Its volume has increased in the industrial use. As the energy consumption has increased, the share of RE is constant. However, simultaneously the use of non-renewable energy has grown about 20 %. In comparison, in Germany

Renewable energy in Germany

The share of electricity produced from renewable energy in Germany has increased from 6.3 percent of the national total in 2000 to over 20 percent in the first half of 2011. In 2010, investments totaling 26 billion euros were made in Germany’s renewable energies sector...

the non-RE source of electricity grew only 2 % (1990–2005).

Finland uses insignificant wood pellet quantities for thermal energy production. In Sweden and Denmark active energy politics with significant taxation of fossil energy has encouraged an early development of the pellet market. This development has taken place much faster than in Finland where economic incentives are missing, and competing sources of energy are cheap.

Pellets in Finland
Year	GWh	tonnes
2001	71	15 000
2002	114	24 000
2003	183	39 000
2004	221	47 000
2005	257	55 000
2006	411	87 000
2007	?	100 000

Pellet production was 192 000 tons (2005). Pellet consumption was 55 000 t (2005), 47 000 t (2004), 39 000 t (2003), 24 000 t (2002) ja 15 000 t (2001). The pellets are mainly exported. Finland has no binding objectives for pellet use promotion.

The Swedish consumption 1 400 000 ton pellets = 6500 GWh, would equal half of Finland's water power. In Sweden, the continuous government support ensures stable market conditions, energy taxes are established many years ago and there are promotion programs for the implementation of pellet heating. In Sweden 40 % of pellets are used in central heating (2006). The small house market potential is estimated to be 1.5-2 million tons of pellet fuel. Thus, there are potentials to double the present pellet use in Sweden. The existing heating boilers can be converted to pellet heating.

Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...

The PV capacity of Finland was (2006) 4.1 MW_p. Solar power in Finland was (1993–1999) 1 GWh, (2000–2004) 2 GWh and (2005) 3 GWh. There has been at least one demonstration project by the YIT Rakennus, NAPS Systems, Lumon and City of Helsinki in 2003. Finland is not a member either in the IEA's Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme or the Scandinavian Photovoltaic Industry Association, SPIA.

Solar heating

The objective in solar heating is 163 000 m² collector area (1995–2010). In 2006 the collector area in operation was 16 493 m². Solar heat in Finland was (1997–2004) 4-5 GWh and (2005) 6 GWh. Thus, Finland has installed 10 % of its objective in 11 years time (1995–2010). The solar heating has not been competitive due to cheap alternatives (electricity, fuel oil and district heating) and the lack of support systems. Companies and public organizations may receive 40% investment subsidies, but private houses do not receive subsidies yet. The Finnish Solar Industries (FSI) group was established in 2001. 2006/2005 the markets grew 43 %. Finland's production capacity is 16 000 m²/a. New installations were: 2 380 m² (2006), 1 668 m² (2005) and 1 141 m² (2004). There are growth opportunities in the solar heating.

Biofuels

Use of Biofuels in Finland
Year	Bioaethanol	Biogas	Biodiesel
1995	0	180	0
1996	0	190	0
1997	0	197	0
1998	0	217	0
1999	0	212	0
2000	0	238	0
2001	0	209	0
2002	9	244	0
2003	49	269	0
2004	52	308	0
2005	0	486	0

The European Union has the objective of 5.75 % of biofuels (2010). The biofuels report do not include the Finnish objective. They are not published yet. The Finnish Ministry of Trade and Industry report (KTM 11/2006) admits that Finland would be able to fulfill the 5.75 % objective. The ministry report does not recommend it, because of its expenses. The production price of biofuels in Finland would be equal to other EU countries, 3 cents pro liter.

The Finnish parliament did not consider bioethanol competitive in Finland. The director of Altia

Altia

Altia Oyj or is a Finnish state-owned corporation based in Helsinki, which produces, imports, exports and markets alcoholic beverages. It operates in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia and Latvia. Altia has production plants in Koskenkorva and Rajamäki in Finland, in Tabasalu in Estonia and...

resigned as Altia's major bioethanol project failed; increased costs made it unprofitable. However, the biodiesel production is investigated in a publicly funded research program. Partly state owned power company, Fortum, has informed that it will start the biodiesel production. Fortum is one of the major oil, nuclear power and water power producers. It received the water power in an M&A agreement years ago. Fortum is also a partner in the most wind power projects and the owner of the NAPS Solar Energy (or NAPS Systems).

The public transportation in the Helsinki metropolitan area has decided to use the palm oil biodiesel of Neste Oil. In 2010 half of the busses will use it. Finnish government is supporting financially the biodiesel use. Neste Oil biodiesel will be tax free for the public transportation until 2010. This is worth 7.2 million euros for Neste Oil and may diminish the share of other competing biofuels.

Traffic

National car taxation was reduced in 2003. This reduced the public transportation ca 8 % and increased the annual sell of new cars 25 % from 120 000 to 150 000. In 2007 the government decided to further reduce the price of 80 % of cars. The average car tax is reduced from 26 % to 22 %. The new taxation 1.1.2008 will take the CO₂ emissions into account. The petrol price is slightly increased. However, this tax reform is predicted to increase the number of two- and three-car-households and decrease the use of public transportation. The new metro line was considered as more urgent by 58 % of citizens than the new ring road (38 %). This Gallup research about the new traffic projects in Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo was made in 7/2007. It did not study the support of alternatives. Before 1.1.2004, there were practically no private CNG

Compressed natural gas

Compressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill...

driven cars. Only at this point the legislation was changed so that only CNG driven Euro-4 OEM

OEM

OEM means the original manufacturer of a component for a product, which may be resold by another company.OEM may also refer to:-Computing:* OEM font, or OEM-US, the original character set of the IBM PC, circa 1981...

cars are not subject to heavy taxation and the number of such cars has been increasing slowly. LPG and E85

E85

E85 is an abbreviation for an ethanol fuel blend of up to 85% denatured ethanol fuel and gasoline or other hydrocarbon by volume. E85 is commonly used by flex-fuel vehicles in the US, Canada, and Europe. Some of the benefits of E85 over conventional gasoline powered vehicles include the potential...

driven cars are still subject to heavy taxes and fines making it de facto

De facto

De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...

not possible to use such or any other alternative fuel cars except electric cars in Finland.

The student and pensioner discount is 50 % in the public transport in the Helsinki metropolitan area in 2007. As one alternative YTV suggests to drop the discount to 30 % and to limit it to students under 25-years and pensioners over 70-years. Public transport in the Helsinki metropolitan area is the most important in Finland. Public transport in the Helsinki metropolitan area includes (zone 1): Helsinki

Helsinki

Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...

, (zone2): Espoo

Espoo

Espoo is the second largest city and municipality in Finland. The population of the city of Espoo is . It is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area along with the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, and Kauniainen. Espoo shares its eastern border with Helsinki and Vantaa, while enclosing Kauniainen....

+ Kauniainen

Kauniainen

Kauniainen is a small town and a municipality of inhabitants in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Finland. It is surrounded by the city of Espoo, in Greater Helsinki...

+ Vantaa

Vantaa

Vantaa is a city and municipality in Finland. Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen make up the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.Vantaa, with its population of , is the fourth most populated city of Finland. The biggest airport in Finland, the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, is located there...

and (zone 3): Kerava

Kerava

Kerava is a town and municipality in Finland.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Uusimaa region. The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is...

+ Kirkkonummi

Kirkkonummi

Kirkkonummi is a municipality of inhabitants in southern Finland. The literal meaning of the words "Kirkkonummi" and "Kyrkslätt" in English is "church moor"....

. As the cities form a single metropolitan area, a 2-zone-travel may take less than 10 minutes. Fares for a single area tickets are 2007 :

zone 1: 1.8-2.1 € (tourists 2,2-2.4 €)
zone 2: 3,2 € (tourists 3,60 €)
zone 3: 5.3 € (tourists 6 €).

There are no restrictions or pay duties for cars in the Helsinki metropolitan area in 2007. The new underground parking lots and road passages have been actively promoted by the Helsinki town leder Jussi Pajunen and Espoo town administration during 2006-2007. Jussi Pajunen wants to promote the use of private cars in the Helsinki city center. This statement aroused criticism. Thereafter he gave some less car intensive statements.

Peat

Finnish politicians and industry actively promote the fuel production from peat. According to European Union and IPCC peat is not biofuel as claimed but have equal CO₂ emissions to coal. The EU also promotes the protection of swamps from ecological disasters. The Finnish peat company Vapo Oy is owned by the state (50.1 %) and the forest industry company Metsäliitto

Metsäliitto

Metsäliitto Group is a Finnish forest industry group present in about 30 countries. The Group's five business areas are Wood Supply, Wood Products, Pulp, Board and Paper,Tissue and Cooking Papers...

(49.9 %)(including Metsä-Botnia, M-real

M-real

M-real Corporation is a Finnish paper and pulp company. It was originally established by G.A. Serlachius, and named Metsä-Serla . The brand Serla is an M-real brand. M-real's slogan is "make it real"....

and Metsä Tissue and previously also Finnforest

Finnforest

Finnforest was a Finnish progressive rock band formed in the early 1970s from Kuopio, Finland.-Line-up:The line-up has included the following musicians:* Pekka Tegelman * Jussi Tegelman * Jukka Rissanen...

). They want to use the peat as fuel and dry the swamps as forests. Scandinavian peat was formed 10 000 years ago after the ice age

Ice age

An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...

. 1.1.2005 the European common carbon dioxide emission system was agreed, and according to the agreement peat is equal to fossil fuel.

Table: RE of electricity

Renewable electricity consumption (GWh)
Year	Electricity	Non-RE	Non-RE growth %	RE	RE %	RE without water%	Water	Wind Wind power Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....	Black L Black liquor Black liquor is the spent cooking liquor from the kraft process when digesting pulpwood into paper pulp removing lignin, hemicelluloses and other extractives from the wood to free the cellulose fibers....	Wood	Other RE
1990	62,334	45,882	0.0	16,452	26.4	9.1	10,752	0
1991	62,288	43,371	-5.5	18,917	30.4	9.4	13,066	1
1992	63,196	42,467	-7.4	20,729	32.8	9.1	14,957	2
1993	65,545	45,372	-1.1	20,173	30.8	10.4	13,343	4
1994	68,257	49,238	7.3	19,019	27.9	10.8	11,663	7
1995	68,946	50,068	9.1	18,878	27.4	8.8	12,788	11
1996	70,018	51,915	13.1	18,103	25.9	9.1	11,704	11
1997	73,603	54,334	18.4	19,269	26.2	10.2	11,795	17
1998	76,630	53,585	16.8	23,045	30.1	10.8	14,777	23
1999	77,779	56,398	22.9	21,381	27.5	11.4	12,547	49
2000	79,158	56,482	23.1	22,676	28.6	10.4	14,453	77	5,126	2,920	101
2001	81,188	60,301	31.4	20,887	25.7	9.7	13,018	70	4,765	2,886	149
2002	83 542	64 377	40.3	19,165	22.9	10.2	10,623	63	5,140	3,194	144
2003	85,229	66,871	44.7	18,358	21.5	10.4	9,455	92	5,255	3,389	189
2004	87,041	62,239	35.7	24,802	28.5	11.4	14,865	120	5,779	3,827	210
2005**	84,672	62,086	35.3	22,586	26.7	10.8	13,430	172	5,060	3,649	281
2006	90,024	68,355	49.0	21 670	24.1	11.5	11 313	153	5,900	4,073	231
2007	90,374	66,779	45.5	23,595	26.1	10.6	13,991	188	5,719	3,419	274
2008	87,247	60,277	31.4	26,970	30.9	11.5	16,909	261	5,250	4,346	280
2009*	80,795	59,895	30.5 %	20,900	25.9 %	10.3 %	12,564	276	8,100***
* = preliminary information, = decline based on the forest industry strike, RE = Renewable energy Renewable energy Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from... , Black L=Black liquor Black liquor Black liquor is the spent cooking liquor from the kraft process when digesting pulpwood into paper pulp removing lignin, hemicelluloses and other extractives from the wood to free the cellulose fibers.... *=no detailed info

Table: RE of total energy

The renewable energy of primary energy

Primary energy

Primary energy is an energy form found in nature that has not been subjected to any conversion or transformation process. It is energy contained in raw fuels, and other forms of energy received as input to a system...

was 24.0 % (2005) and 24.1 % (2004). Total primary energy supply was 392 022 (2005) and 418 672 GWh (2004). The primary energy includes in addition to the energy consumption also e.g. the heating up of the Baltic Sea by the nuclear power plant waste heat.

Renewable energy of energy consumption GWh
Year	Energy	Non-RE growth %	RE Renewable energy Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...	RE %	Wood	Water	Wind Wind power Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....	Other*
1990	317,321	0 %	57,895	18.2	46,450	10,752	0	693
1991	312,743	-1.8 %	57,889	18.5	44,064	13,066	1	758
1992	309,616	-4.0 %	60,491	19.5	44,768	14,957	2	764
1993	319,025	-1.8 %	64,275	20.1	50,132	13,339	4	800
1994	340,946	5.0 %	68,515	20.1	56,044	11,662	7	802
1995	334,853	1.6 %	71,397	21.3	57,650	12,788	11	948
1996	349,424	7.0 %	71,847	20.6	59,107	11,704	11	1,025
1997	359,309	8.1 %	78,790	21.9	65,877	11,795	17	1,101
1998	364,033	7.6 %	84,941	23.3	68,788	14,777	23	1,353
1999	372,798	9.0 %	89,947	24.1	75 781	12,547	49	1,570
2000	367,600	6.8 %	90,636	24.7	74,364	14,453	77	1,742
2001	380,769	12.9 %	87,762	23.0	72,573	13,018	70	2,101
2002	392,116	16.0 %	91,209	23.3	78,275	10,623	63	2,248
2003	413,478	23.8 %	92,200	22.3	79,903	9,455	92	2,750
2004	412,040	19.5 %	102,113	24.8	83,961	14,865	120	3,167
2005**	381,568	10.3 %	95,434	25.0	78,036	13,428	168	3,802
2006	417,021	21.0 %	103,213	24.8	87,534	11,313	153	4,212
2007	410,273	18.4 %	103,063	25.1	83,929	13,991	188	4,936
2008	392,776	9.4 %	109,015	27.8	83,929	16,909	261	7,916
2009*	369,837	5.9 %	95,116	25.7	72,722	12,564	276	9,554
RE = Renewable Energy, Non-RE = Non-renewable energy + import, Wood = Black liquor Black liquor Black liquor is the spent cooking liquor from the kraft process when digesting pulpwood into paper pulp removing lignin, hemicelluloses and other extractives from the wood to free the cellulose fibers.... , industry and small scale wood fuels, * = Preliminary information 2009, ** = decline based on long forest industry strike in 2005 Other RE 2006 (GWh): Heat pumps – electricity 2,397, Recycled fuel 1,062, Biogas Biogas Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Organic waste such as dead plant and animal material, animal dung, and kitchen waste can be converted into a gaseous fuel called biogas... 424, Other Bioenergy 252, Biofuel Biofuel Biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation. Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases... 10, Solar power Solar power Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available... 11

In the table is the contribution of RE to electricity production for the EU-25 by 2020.