Finland’s power system is going through a major change. Renewable energy, data centers and battery energy storage systems are increasing the demand for grid connections at an unprecedented speed. At the same time, the transmission grid must operate reliably at all times. Fingrid is responsible for keeping the power system in balance, and this work is done in close cooperation with partners such as Eltel.
The transmission grid enables growth
Finland’s power system must stay in balance at every moment. Fingrid is the Finnish transmission system operator and has system responsibility. The transmission grid is the backbone of society. It enables electricity to be transferred from production areas to where it is used.
Fingrid doesn’t have large-scale installation operations of its own. Construction projects and maintenance are carried out together with external partners. One of the key partners is Eltel.
– Our history goes back 100 years. Eltel’s predecessor companies built some of the first high-voltage lines in Finland at that time. We have been partners ever since, says Timo Kiiveri, Executive Vice President at Fingrid.
The cooperation covers the full lifecycle of the grid, from planning to construction and maintenance. Over the years, this has meant a very large number of projects across Finland.
– It all starts with planning. Eltel provides services during the construction phase and is also responsible for maintenance services, Kiiveri says.
As investments grow, the role of partners becomes more important
Electricity demand in Finland is growing fast. There is already 9.5 gigawatts of installed wind power in the country, and many new projects are under development. Data centers and battery energy storage systems are increasing the need for new grid connections.
– I cannot recall any major cases where there have been significant problems during the production phases. Eltel’s attitude is that things get done and problems are solved. We really appreciate that kind of attitude, Kiiveri says.
– Over the next 10 years, we will invest five billion euros in our networks. So there will be a huge amount of different types of projects ongoing, such as high-voltage lines, Kiiveri explains.
Growing demand also brings challenges. As society becomes more electrified, the role of partners becomes even more important.
– It’s becoming more difficult to secure grid connections on time. Partners are very vital in providing connections to our customers, Kiiveri notes.
According to Kiiveri, long cooperation is based on trust and on how things work in everyday projects.
– I cannot recall any major cases where there have been significant problems during the production phases. Eltel’s attitude is that things get done and problems are solved. We really appreciate that kind of attitude, Kiiveri says.