2/2012 - Fingrid

Fingrid’s online map service can be used forproviding feedback on the transmission linesolutions required by the Olkiluoto 4 nuclearpower plant project. The feedback page (inFinnish) can be found on the website of theEIA project, which can be reached by clicking“Ympäristö” in the top menu of Fingrid’swebsite, or using search “fingrid.navici.com/ol4/”.The transmission line projects required byOlkiluoto 4 and their environmental impacts werethe topic in the three public events arrangedby Fingrid in early 2012. Mika Penttilä (on theright) and Hannu Ylönen (in the middle) hadplenty of questions to answer also in coffee tableconversations.landscape.The impacts of transmission linesrequired by Fennovoima’s Hanhikivi 1nuclear power plant on the environmentand people will be investigated ina similar manner within an EIA procedureto be launched at a later date. Thetransmission line routes to be examinedwithin this project total over 100 kilometres.Opinions expressed in public eventsWithin the first stage of the EIA procedurein South-Western Finland, Fingridarranged public meetings in threeplaces in January: Alastaro, Harjavaltaand Mynämäki.The events presented the project ingeneral, the planned transmission lineroutes, and the environmental impactassessment programme. In addition toFingrid’s experts, the questions were answeredby representatives of the Centrefor Economic Development, Transportand the Environment in South-WesternFinland, the EIA consultant as well asTVO, the nuclear power company.“The purpose of these events is tomake people involved and share information,”Mika Penttilä says.However, information supplied inthe early stages of the EIA project didnot appear to attract too much interestamong the local residents. The threeevents gathered a total audience ofabout 100.“The attendance was low consideringthat the planned transmissionline routes traverse the land of a totalof 1,500 to 2,000 landowners. On theother hand, people tend to become moreinterested in the projects as the workmakes progress, and we have receivedsome questions and comments also bytelephone and through the map feedbackservice on our website.”Mika Penttilä says that landownersand local residents are typicallyinterested in issues such as the projectschedule, land use impacts, expropriationcompensations, and the tower locations,which, however, are only decidedlater during the more detailed planningof the line routes.EIA results to beexpected in the autumnThe environmental impact assessmentwork continues, and the assessment reportcompiling its results is expected tobe ready in the autumn. This is anotheropportunity for the general public toobtain more information, present theirviews and discuss the transmission lineproject face to face with the relevantexperts. The statement of the co-ordinationauthority will close the EIA processin early 2013.“The construction of the transmissionlines will take about three years. Thelaunching of the actual constructionand the progress of the work will dependon TVO’s schedule for the Olkiluoto4 nuclear power plant unit,” saysMika Penttilä. The plant is expected tobe complete in the 2020s. FINGRID 2/2012 | 27