KSBR completes the infrastructure construction for a large wind farm in Lestijärvi
Keski-Suomen Betonirakenne Oy has delivered the infrastructure for Finland’s largest wind farm in Lestijärvi, Central Ostrobothnia. The completed wind farm was handed over to OX2, the company that commissioned the work, at the end of last year.
The scope of supply included the wind farm’s roads, lifting areas, wind turbine foundations and the wind farm’s medium voltage and telecommunications network. KSBR will also build three 110 kV and one Eltoneva 400 kV substation in Lestijärvi according to the agreed schedule. It will be completed by the end of 2024.
“We were able to finish the wind farm on schedule, although there have been challenges connected to the global turmoil. But we overcame them and have gotten this big, great project over the finish line,” says Project Manager Petteri Mäkelä.
“You always learn something new in the process, but we’ve already built so many wind farms that many things in this project were routine,” he concludes.
KSBR and OX2 agreed to the contract at the end of 2021, and planning began immediately in early 2022.
“To hibernation in good spirits”
The wind power project consists of three areas – Kosolankangas, Hittisenneva and Iso Korteneva.
A total of 69 wind turbines with a maximum height of 240 metres and a total capacity of 455.4 megawatts will be built on the sites.
A new Eltoneva substation, as well as 110 and 400 kilovolt power lines and overhead lines for electrical transmission have also been built in Lestijärvi. KSBR laid about 110 kilometers of medium-voltage underground cable in the area.
When completed, the wind farm will produce more than 1.3 TWh of energy each year, which just a few years ago equated to about 2% of Finland’s total electricity production.
“We were able to leave the wind farm to its hibernation in good spirits. At the most, we had 150 people working on site. 600 different professionals worked on the wind farm in total. A big thanks to the partners, designers and – above all – everyone who worked on the project. They’ve all made a huge effort,” says Petteri Mäkelä.
The wind farm, owned by Kymppivoima, Oulun Energia and Kuopio Energia, is expected to be completed in 2025.
