The municipality of Ii and Skarta Energy Oy have signed a letter of intent regarding plans for the construction of a solar farm in Ii. An area of approximately five hectares is sought for a solar farm by the summer. Skarta’s objective is to build several separate solar power plants.
“In the initial phase, we are surveying areas suitable for solar power production. In practice, we are looking for waste land areas of 10–100 hectares in size. So cooperation with Skarta Energy could also benefit private landowners in the Ii area,” explains Executive Vice President Vikke Saarelainen of Skarta Energy.
Alongside wind, solar energy is the cheapest form of electricity production, but they differ substantially in the impacts of construction of the necessary infrastructure.
“The planning, permit and earthworks activities required for a solar farm are much lighter. This means that areas like very old peat bogs, disused mining areas, or fields that have traditionally been difficult to find a suitable use for could be perfect for repurposing as a solar farm,” adds Ii’s Vitality Director Helena Illikainen.
According to Illikainen, the municipality’s goal is for a new, attractive business hub to be located near the solar farm, with the operators based there benefiting from the affordable energy from the farm.
“We need local, mid-sized industrial scale projects that, in addition to the availability of renewable energy also bring significant overall investments to the region, attract new operators, create jobs, and increase the areas’ tax revenue. Skarta’s Near Energy® concept planned for the Ii area is a concrete step towards this objective. In the future, Ii will be an important link in the significant energy hub of the Bothnian Arc,” states Vikke Saarelainen.
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