Laine

About the project

Laine offshore wind power project is located in the economic zone adjacent to the cities of Kokkola and Pietarsaari. The area of the wind farm is about 450 km2, and its distance to the mainland is about 30 km, to Pietarsaari about 32 km, and to the nearest island 24 km (Torsön). 

The project consists of at most 150 wind turbines, with an estimated annual production of about 11 TWh. This would cover around 14 per cent of Finland’s power production (around 78 TWh) in 2023.  

There are alternative routes for the transmission of electricity from the offshore wind farm to the areas of Pietarsaari, Uusikaarlepyy, Pedersöre, Kruunupyy and the city of Kokkola on the mainland. The planned national grid connection points are located in Uusikaarlepyy and Kokkola. 

OX2 has been developing the Laine project since back in 2020 and filed an exploration permit application to the Finnish government in May 2021. The permit was granted in January 2022 and enabled a start to be made on surveys of the seabed. Surveys were carried out during 2021–2023 and the permit is valid until October 2026. In addition, technical studies have been carried out for the development of the project. 

The environmental impact assessment (EIA programme) for the project was completed and available for viewing in autumn 2022, and the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of South Ostrobothnia issued a statement on the programme in December 2022. The EIA programme and the ELY Centre's statement are available on Finland’s environmental administration's website (in Finnish) here. 

 What’s next? 

The environmental impact assessment report (EIA report) for the project was completed in spring 2025 and made available for comments and statements in late spring 2025. The report reviews the environmental impacts of the project in detail. The EIA report is available on Finland’s environmental administration's website (in Finnish) here.

The Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of South Ostrobothnia can be expected to issue its reasoned conclusion in autumn 2025. Once the EIA procedure has been completed, the project development will wait for the Government's decision on the areas to be put out to tender for offshore wind power construction.