Pohjolan Voima, one of Finland's largest energy companies, is moving to the environmental impact assessment (EIA) phase in its pumped storage power plant project. A year ago, in February 2024, the company announced it was exploring the possibility of constructing a pumped storage power plant in the Kemijärvi area.
Pohjolan Voima’s subsidiary, PVO-Vesivoima, will soon submit its EIA program to the Lapland ELY Centre. This will initiate the environmental impact assessment, during which the company will comprehensively study the potential project’s effects on the local environment and nature, including Kemijärvi, vegetation, reindeer husbandry, and the landscape. Important aspects to be examined in relation to Kemijärvi include impacts on water flows, fish populations, recreational use, and ice conditions.
The pumped storage power plant would be located approximately five kilometres from PVO-Vesivoima’s Jumisko power plant, in the Askanaapa area, which is currently used for forestry.
“The environmental impact assessment is a long-term and time-consuming phase. It provides us with precise information about the environmental and natural impacts of our project during potential construction and operation,” says Jani Pulli, Managing Director of PVO-Vesivoima.
“It is important for us to find the best ways to implement the potential project for everyone involved. Therefore, we want to keep local communities informed about the progress of our work. In addition to the EIA monitoring group, which consists of local representatives, we will continue to organize open discussion events for everyone. I would like to thank everyone who has participated in our events, contacted us, and shared their questions and perspectives. The upcoming EIA studies will help us respond more accurately to your concerns. We hope that open dialogue continues and that you share your thoughts with us freely,” Pulli hopes.
Fieldwork to be visible in Kemijärvi in spring
During this spring, Pohjolan Voima will also conduct field studies to refine the overall picture of the project. In addition to field studies and environmental and natural impact assessments, the upcoming phase will include planning for zoning.
The planned pumped storage power plant’s purpose is to act as an energy storage facility, balancing and ensuring the equilibrium between electricity demand and supply. The operation is based on utilizing the height difference: when there is an abundance of electricity, water would be pumped from Kemijärvi to a higher storage reservoir. When there is a shortage of electricity, the water would be released back from the storage reservoir to Kemijärvi through a turbine, thus providing additional capacity to the electricity system when it is most needed.
FACTS ABOUT THE PROJECT
- The area is drained forestry land.
- The storage reservoir would be located approximately five kilometres west of Kemijärvi’s Askanselkä, in a small, naturally bowl-shaped area called Askanaapa. The storage reservoir, utilizing the terrain’s natural features, would be formed by damming the areas between the hills. The planned reservoir’s surface area would be approximately 300 hectares, roughly half the size of Rovaniemi Airport.
- Kemijärvi, a large lake with a surface area of 230 km², would serve as the natural water intake and discharge lake.
- The power plant would be located in Mömmövaara, where the necessary space for the plant would be excavated inside the hill. From there, water would be directed through a tunnel to Kemijärvi.
For more information:
Jani Pulli, CEO, PVO-Vesivoima Oy, tel. +358 50 386 2680, jani.pulli@pvo.fi
Riitta Larnimaa, Executive Vice President, Public Relations and Sustainability, Pohjolan Voima Oyj, tel. +358 504 3466, riitta.larnimaa@pvo.fi
