Eurowind Energy initiates a biodiversity-positive wind project in Finland

Eurowind Energy Oy initiates a pilot project designed to deliver a positive impact on biodiversity for the Tielampi wind farm in Lapinlahti, Northern Savonia. The Tielampi wind farm, which is expected to be operational in the year 2027, is planned to consist of 17 wind turbines at the maximum.

The pilot project will create biodiversity gains through restoration and habitat protection in an amount that exceeds the measured biodiversity loss at the wind farm area. The restoration and protection measures will take place on a compensation site in the same habitat area. In addition, reforestation ensures that the project will not become a source of deforestation. The compensation site will become a protected forest where we will implement additional measures to enhance biodiversity, such as creating deadwood. In total, the biodiversity gains will be larger than the biodiversity loss on the wind farm site, which is kept as small as possible through avoidance and minimisation measures.

A cooperation

The pilot project is a result of the cooperation between Eurowind Energy Oy and Dasos Habitat Foundation who own the site selected for habitat protection. It will be one of the first projects to make use of the new amendments to the Nature Conservation Act, regulating voluntary ecological compensation to ensure a measurable net-positive impact on biodiversity locally. Together with Dasos Habitat Foundation, the developed pilot project follows the rules and regulations of the Nature Conservation Act. The monitoring and calculation of the biodiversity values are performed by a third party, Green Carbon Finland Oy.

“We are proud to be one of the first Finnish wind developers to integrate voluntary ecological compensation into our biodiversity initiatives. Biodiversity is an important topic to us at Eurowind Energy and we will use this pilot to refine our approach to mitigating biodiversity impacts in the future,” said Tuuli Vapaavuori-Vartiainen, Country Manager Finland, Eurowind Energy Oy.

“Dasos Habitat Fund is pleased to partner with a leading wind developer Eurowind Energy to develop the concept of nature-positive renewable energy. The green transition is a great opportunity to improve the state of nature while energy systems de-carbonize, and we are driving this development with new initiatives”, said Tapani Pahkasalo, Partner at Dasos Habitat Foundation.

Fact box:

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on earth.

Biodiversity compensation (or offsetting) refers to the creation of measurable increases in biodiversity values which fully compensate for the residual biodiversity loss that remains after avoidance and minimisation measures have been taken.

Biodiversity compensation must be lasting, comparable (biodiversity losses and gains must be similar) and additional (the creation of biodiversity value is caused by the restoration and conservation measures).