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In Oulainen, Northern Ostrobothnia, VSB Finland has successfully commissioned the Karahka wind farm, developed in collaboration with Finnish utility Helen and the Bank of Åland Wind Power Special Investment Fund. Spanning 2,300 hectares, the farm’s 25 turbines deliver a total capacity of 148 MW, contributing to Finland’s energy self-sufficiency and supporting an increasingly electrified society. This milestone marks a significant boost to the domestic share of renewable wind energy.
The Karahka project, initiated in 2016, advanced to construction in 2022 following permit approvals. That same year, VSB sold the project to Helen and the Bank of Åland while overseeing its construction and commissioning. The wind farm features innovative hybrid towers, comprising 27 locally manufactured concrete blocks topped with steel sections, enabling greater hub heights. The concrete components, produced by Lujabetoni in Kärsämäki, earned industry acclaim, winning the Finnish Wind Power Association’s public vote for ‘Wind Power Project of the Year.’ Dr Felix Grolman, CEO of the VSB Group, commented, “With the commissioning of Karahka, VSB demonstrates its comprehensive expertise – from project development and approval to construction. This impressive team achievement underlines our position as a reliable partner in the energy transition. We look forward to our next major projects in Finland, which are already in preparation.”
“The Karahka wind farm is the second in a series of domestic renewable energy projects delivered by VSB to Helen and Ålandsbanken. The project implementation, for which VSB obtained the permits, has proceeded very smoothly for our customers, and the wind farm will be commissioned on schedule. At VSB, it is important for us to support our customers’ goals of increasing emission-free power generation capacity and contributing to clean energy solutions both in Finland and across the EU,” noted Seppo Tallgren, Managing Director of VSB Finland.
“The Karahka wind farm is a significant addition to the emission-free electricity supply of Helen and Finland as a whole. This strengthens Finland’s competitive advantage by lowering electricity prices, enabling investments based on clean and affordable power. The wind farm’s completion also supports Helen’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2030 and the transition to geographically distributed, carbon-neutral power generation,” said Pekka Tolonen, VP of Power Generation at Helen.
“It is great to complete a construction project that took approximately 2.5 years, both on time and within budget. What makes this project particularly special is its exceptionally high domestic content, with the concrete towers manufactured by Lujabetoni. The collaboration with VSB has been excellent, and I extend my thanks to them and all contractors for a successful project. Most importantly, the commissioning of the wind farm will enable us, together with our partner Helen, to produce significantly more renewable electricity for the Finnish market,” added Jimmy Forsman, Portfolio Manager of the Bank of Åland Wind Power Fund.
