For the construction of the new solar power park, Oulun Energia has acquired Solarpower Paarmala Oy’s project company from Greenpower Finland Oy on 1 March 2024, which already has the necessary permits and the capacity to build the solar power park on an eight-hectare plot in Paarmala, Raahe.

“The Paarmala solar park investment is a good fit for our strategy.  The decision was also positively influenced by Raahe’s excellent capacity to utilise solar power, which means that construction can take place quickly,” says Kimmo Nieminen, director of solar and wind energy at Oulun Energia.

Oomi Solar Oy, which will be responsible for the planning, procurement, and construction of the park, will supply the solar power plant to Oulun Energia. The solar power park consists of approximately 7,000 cutting-edge two-sided solar panels, as well as mounting and inverters suitable for northern conditions.

“Oomi Solar has long experience in turnkey solutions of solar power parks. Solar power parks are an efficient and environmentally friendly solution to the growing demand for electricity. In addition, Paarmala is also an optimal location for the solar power park, as the area is flat barren land that used to be used as arable land” says Antti Korkala, business director at Oomi Solar.

The design of the solar power park is well under way, and the construction work is expected to start as early as this spring. The plant is estimated to start producing clean solar electricity in spring 2025.

In addition to the Paarmala project, Oulun Energia announced in December 2023 that it will take part in the first phase of EPV Energia Oy’s Heinineva solar park project with a share of 20 megawatts.  The Heinineva and Paarmala parks will produce a total of approximately 26 gigawatt hours of solar power annually, which is equivalent to the estimated annual consumption of 1,300 electrically heated detached houses.

Photo: Oomi's solar power park in Vihreäsaari, Oulu, photographed by Petri Koivisto.