A major solar power park has emerged in the open compost field behind Atria’s production plant in Nurmo over a short period of time. Even though the construction is still in progress, the south-facing solar panels are already producing energy for the plant.
Nearly 6 MW capacity
Once completed in autumn 2018, Atria Sun will be the largest solar power park in Finland. In terms of land and roof surface, its 24,000 solar panels will cover an area the size of almost nine football fields. The panels will produce 5,600 megawatt hours of energy per year, or around 5 per cent of the Nurmo plant’s annual electricity need. The project is unique in scale in Finland. So far, the largest systems in Finland are less than one megawatt. With Atria Sun, we are talking about nearly six megawatts.
Investment of EUR 6.8 million
The project is also unique in the sense that it is the first industrial-scale solar power park in Finland. The park will produce fully renewable, emission-free, domestic solar power for the nearby plant.
The solar power park project was selected as one of the key projects of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The cost estimate is EUR 6.8 million, with EUR 2.72 million in investment support by the Ministry.
Installed on an open compost field and roofs
According to Tapani Potka, Senior Vice President, Technical Functions at Atria, another prerequisite was a suitable field on the plant site. The large, vacant, paved area – an open compost field - was ideal for the park.
The 15,000 solar panels on the field have been commissioned by the end of October 2017, after all of the installation work has been completed. The remaining 9,000 solar panels are currently placed on roofs and lawns on the plant site.
Test site also for trackers
The Atria Sun project is not only about the production of solar power. The power plant will also serve as something of a test laboratory for various technologies, methods and intelligent electricity network systems.
Rotating solar panels, which are still rare in Finland, will be tested there, to name just one example. The solar panels that have so far been installed are fixed, meaning that they do not follow the sun.
Atria is implementing the project in cooperation with Solarigo Systems.The project is being implemented by Nurmon Aurinko, which will be responsible for maintaining the plant and selling electricity to Atria.
The largest amount of solar energy will be produced during the summer months, when the plant has a considerable need for cooling. (HCN/Pirjo Latva-Mantila)
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