“I am very pleased that we completed the Paarmala solar power plant on schedule. I would like to thank our partner Oomi Solar for the seamless collaboration. We are now one step closer to our long-term strategic goal of significantly increasing renewable energy,” states Kimmo Nieminen, who is responsible for wind and solar power projects at Oulun Energia. 

Building an industrial-scale solar power plant is a major undertaking. The power plant was completed on an area of eight hectares and features more than 7,000 state-of-the-art double-sided solar panels, along with mounting structures and inverters designed for northern conditions. The project included building nearly 1.2 kilometres of service roads and installing more than two kilometres of cable pipes and copper conductor cables. 

The construction of the Paarmala solar farm progressed on schedule, from clearing and levelling the site and building access roads, to installing the mounting structures and solar panels. After a rainy and wet autumn, the winter weather was ideal for piling and scaffolding installations. The winter had little snow and mostly mild temperatures, which kept the conditions suitable. The work, including installation and final inspections, was completed in early March 2025, after which we awaited commissioning by the German inverter manufacturer, SMA.  

“A representative from the inverter manufacturer travelled from Germany to carry out the configuration and commissioning of the central inverter. SMA requires that one of their own engineers carries out the commissioning, regardless of the power plant’s location worldwide,” states Jussi Ahlroth, project manager at Oomi Solar Oy.   

The Paarmala solar power plant is integrated with our new smart energy management service, enabling the optimisation of its renewable electricity production. Through optimisation, the solar power plant can be utilised in the spot market and Fingrid’s reserve market. This ensures the plant consistently delivers optimal returns while supporting the balance and stability of the Finnish electric power system. 

In addition to the solar power plant in Raahe, Oulun Energia is participating in EPV Energia Oy’s Lapua solar power project, which, once completed, is expected to produce approximately 90 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually. Oulun Energia’s share of the project is approximately 20 megawatts, producing around 18 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually for us. In partnership with three other Finnish energy companies, Oulun Energia has also founded a new solar power company, Suomen Aurinkovoima Oy, which has the aim to develop at least 500 megawatts of solar power by 2030. The new company is actively seeking suitable land for industrial-scale solar power plants across Finland.