The construction of EPV Energy’s first industrial-scale solar park is progressing smoothly in Heinineva, Lapua. Once completed, the solar park will be one of the largest in Finland and the first ever to be built in a phased-out peat production area.
The Heinineva solar park covers an area of roughly 120 hectares. The exceptional scale of the park is also reflected in the fact that it will have around 123,000 solar panels, with the length of the panel mounts totalling roughly 80 kilometres. The solar farm will produce more than 80 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year.
The solar farm is being built on a former peat production site, which reduces the environmental impact of its construction. No trees have had to be felled in the area or the surrounding forest, and only minimal soil preparation has been needed.
The first solar panels will start producing electricity by the end of the year. Electricity is transmitted to the grid via a substation previously completed in Heinineva. Electricity generation is expected to start across the park in late 2025.
Strong focus on sustainability
Suvic Oy and its subsidiaries are responsible for the supply and installation of the equipment at the Heinineva solar park. The solar panels to be installed and their mounts are manufactured in China. Product quality and the transparency of the supply chains are important considerations in the project. Eetu Pajala, HSEQ Manager at Suvic, explains that the quality of the manufacturing plants and the traceability of the supply chains are ensured through factory audits and inspections.
“Heinineva’s solar panels are top-class in terms of efficiency. In addition to their technical specifications, we have ensured that the products ordered and their supply chains meet both our requirements and those of EPV. The agreements made specify exactly where the raw materials and components used must come from, and for this purpose, the agreements include a requirement for traceability,” Pajala explains.
As the construction of the solar farm is extremely labour intensive, Suvic Force employs around 120 people during the construction and installation phase in Heinineva. Consequently, the project has a significant local employment impact, as most of the workers live in the Lapua-Kauhava-Seinäjoki region.
The work community is extremely diverse, with around twenty nationalities and different genders, ages and languages represented. But one thing all the employees share is a desire to work and learn something new. The largest national groups represented are Ukraine and Sri Lanka.
“A common feature of all the non-Finnish employees is that no other job opportunities have opened up for them on the Finnish labour market. These foreign workers include several with a university degree who would have qualifications to work in their specialised fields. But the main thing is that these workers are highly motivated and have been very satisfied with the working conditions we offer. There are also women among them, and we try to look for suitable jobs for everyone according to their physical capacity,” says Pajala.