2/2009 Fingrid Oyj Fingrid Corporate magazine Corporate This is how a transmission line comes about page 10 Finnish grid – 80 years of developments page 16 In this issue: 3 Editorial | 80 years in the centre of infrastructure 4 “We live in a world of changing threats,” says Minister Jyri Häkämies. A serious disturbance in the electricity infrastructure has been raised as one of the foremost threat scenarios in Finland. 7 Grid connects now and in the future | Fingrid has worked out alterna- tive scenarios of the operating environment, with the time perspective FINGRID until 2030. Three alternative models for potential trends in electricity Corporate magazine consumption and generation are presented. Fingrid Oyj 12th volume 9 Column | “Values and values” by Kari Kuusela 2/2009 10 This is how a transmission line comes about | Photographs show how Editorial staff a reliable transmission line is built using modern technology, traditional expertise and skilled workforce. Telephone: +358 (0)30 395 5153, Fax: +358 (0)30 395 5196 13 Project Manager Ritva Laine’s work begins where the EIA procedure of Postal address: P.O.Box 530, a line project finishes. FI-00101 Helsinki, Finland Street address: Arkadiankatu 23 B, Helsinki 15 In brief www.fingrid.fi Editor-in-Chief: Tiina Miettinen 16 80 years of power for Finland | In its jubilee year, the Finnish transmis- E-mail: [email protected] sion grid is active and in good strength. Editorial board: Eija Eskelinen, Mikko Jalonen, 22 Reija Kuronen, Kaija Niskala, Arto Pahkin, Landscape towers are landmarks | In some cases they are even works of environmental art. Petri Parviainen, Tiina Seppänen Design by bbo, Better Business Office Oy / 23 Transmission lines through the eyes of local people Maria Hallila and Tuija Sorsa Translation by Kielipaja Hannu Hakala 25 Should I build a house next to a power line? | People are concerned over the impacts of electric and magnetic fields of transmission lines. Published by Research results show that this concern is undue. Fingrid Oyj 27 Know the terms | Quantities used in conjunction with electromagnetic fields Cover photograph: The work of Project Manager Ritva 28 Laine is described on pages 13–14. Photograph by Ju- Birds seldom collide with transmission lines | Based on the research findings, transmission lines in the nation-wide grid seldom pose a sig- hani Eskelinen. nificant threat to birds. Printed by Libris Oy, Helsinki 30 Inspectors take care of the lines | Line inspections are used for record- ISSN 1456-2693 ing more than 10,000 observations per year, making up the foundation of transmission line maintenance. 32 Regular management of trees guarantees system security of trans- mission lines 34 Grid ABC | Static VAR Compensator in Kangasala 36 Eyes on nature | Night birds 38 In brief 39 Grid Quiz | Competition to readers FINGRID 2/2009 | 2 Editorial 80 years in the centre of infrastructure On 16 January 1929, voltage was con- Reliable availability of electric- owned by the Nordic transmission sys- nected for the first time to the first ity is a vital national competitive edge. tem operators (TSOs). The Nordic mar- 110 kilovolt trunk transmission line in Finnish system security and cost ef- ket is integrating both with the market Finland, from the new Imatra hydro- ficiency in electricity transmission around the Baltic Sea and with north- power plant to Vyborg in the south and represent top grade globally. These ern Continental Europe. The volume Helsinki and Turku in the west. When have been achieved by focusing on the of electricity exchange trade will grow the line was completed, some thought problems thoroughly and by applying tenfold while at the same time trading that Finland would never consume all new technology open-mindedly. Close will intensify and the proportion of in- the electricity generated by the large co-operation between the users, sci- dividual players in electricity trade will power plant in Imatra. That was a entific communities and equipment decrease. wrong notion. manufacturers has always been char- Finland is now adapting its national The nation-wide transmission grid acteristic of the Finnish transmission economy to the European energy and has grown with the Finnish society business. This has resulted in the best climate strategy. Fingrid is involved in and its needs. It now covers more than methods suited for the Finnish condi- this by having a crucial role in European 14,000 kilometres of lines and over 100 tions. Many pioneering solutions, such TSO co-operation. The new organisa- substations. The grid contains almost as the use of the light guyed tower and tion ENTSO-E is a visible indication of 700 connection points, to which the a meshed grid which improves system this co-operation. ENTSO-E is to create factories, power plants and distribu- security, have been among the great comprehensive binding rules for the tion networks have been connected. success factors. Later, automation of development of the European power The power system covering the whole substations and power plants together system regionally so that they corre- of Finland constitutes the largest na- with their centralised operation control spond to the needs of the electricity tional infrastructure with the most added to system security and reduced market both in terms of the capacity of wide spread impacts. the costs. A long leap forward in cost grids and system security. The climate The Finnish transmission grid has efficiency was taken in the early 1990s, objectives will not be realised unless always been planned and built in a when outsourcing and competitive bid- the European grids are improved to competitive set-up. From the begin- ding were introduced to the construc- conform to the changing production ar- ning, private industries aimed to se- tion and maintenance of the grid. chitecture and especially to the power cure electricity supply to their plants Finland joining the EU and goals to regulation needs of the rapidly increas- irrespective of projects undertaken by liberalise the European energy market ing wind power. the state-owned Imatran Voima. On the led to the establishment of Fingrid Oyj In the next decade, Fingrid will spend other hand, building the energy produc- (initially Suomen Kantaverkko Oy) in the almost 2,000 million euros in reinforc- tion and power transmission architec- autumn of 1996. It took over the lines ing and renovating the Finnish grid. ture in a poor country such as Finland and substations of the network com- This is roughly half of the replacement in the 1920s also called for the devel- panies of Imatran Voima and Pohjolan value of the present grid. The capital opment and use or cost-efficient do- Voima and a little later the correspond- investments contribute to the national mestic technology solutions. This was ing parts of the network in the Kemijoki energy and climate strategy by creat- boosted by the rapid growth of heavy region. These were among the rapid ing conditions for the construction of industries, required by the war repara- developments towards a Nordic elec- the necessary base load power capac- tions after the war, and harnessing of tricity market, where trading in a single ity and renewable energy production. hydropower in the north to serve the exchange guarantees that electricity is The backbone of Finnish society keeps needs of industrialising Finland. Cost produced and transmitted to consump- growing, but more clearly so as part of efficiency was also highlighted later as tion from power plants with the most the European electricity market. the pace of industrialisation grew and inexpensive costs. Thousands of gen- as the national economy became even eration units are controlled automati- more energy-intensive. The nation- cally on the basis of a price determined wide grid was expanded especially in by demand and supply, without a cen- the 1970s, when the first large coal and tralised control system. Some 70 per Matti Tähtinen is Fingrid Oyj’s Senior nuclear power plants were connected cent of all Nordic electricity trade takes Vice President responsible for to the grid. place through the electricity exchange stakeholder relations. FINGRID 2/2009 | 2 FINGRID 2/2009 | 3 Weather phenomena are the most common cause for disturbances in the power system. FINGRID 2/2009 | 4 Minister Jyri Häkämies: It is necessary to make preparations for threats Text by Tiina Miettinen Photographs by Vastavalo and Erkki Laine Our society relies on technical systems. Dependence on electricity in particular has increased considerably. This is why a serious disturbance in the electricity infrastructure has been raised as one of the foremost threat scenarios in Finland. “We live in a world of changing threats,” says Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies. he Council of State supervises er contingency planning. We com- contingency planning for various piled a work group in our ministry to Tdisturbances and extraordinary draw up an analysis of the impacts of situations in Finland. A few years ago, a long blackout on vital functions. This the Government accepted a strategy work was completed in early summer. for securing the vital functions of soci- I hope that the good practices and rec- ety, used for integrating the contingen- ommendations presented in the relat- cy plans in the various branches of ad- ed report become reality,” is how Jyri ministration. Häkämies, Minister of Defence and The strategy describes those func- minister responsible for state owner- tions that need to be kept running un- ship steering, comments on the con- der all circumstances. Electronic com- tingency planning. munications and data communications as well as energy supply systems are Practical guidelines for authorities considered especially important is- sues. The work group studying contingen- Disturbances in the power system are cy planning completed its extensive most commonly caused by bad weath- report at the end of May.