Fortum wins contract to supply the biggest solar electricity system in Nordic history

Fortum won S Group’s competitive bidding process for the implementation of a solar electricity system on the rooftops of approx. 40 commercial buildings across Finland. With a total output capacity of about 10 MW, the solar electricity project is the biggest ever supply of rooftop solar electricity systems to be installed on rooftops in the Nordic countries. The total solar power production capacity in Finland in 2017 was about 35 MW.

Fortum is responsible for the project planning, project management and equipment procurement. The installation work will be conducted by about 10 teams from ARE. The installation work will start in spring 2018 and will be completed during autumn 2018 (with the exception of a few new sites).

“Realising our vision – For a cleaner world – isn’t easy nor can it be accomplished overnight. Fortunately, it is a goal that is also shared by many other companies and communities, and this S Group project to utilise solar energy in their commercial buildings is a prime example of that,” says Tatu Kulla, Head of Business Development, Fortum.

“The entire S Group has a shared goal to use our own renewable energy to produce 80 per cent of the electricity we consume in 2025. Our sites’ electricity consumption peaks during summer, right when the sunlight lasts longer and is more intense. In the best cases, during summer we can produce enough solar energy to satisfy 100% of the electricity needs of one building,” says Mikko Halonen, Managing Director, S-Voima.

“We chose Fortum to supply our solar electricity systems because its products and processes are reliable and audited. The life-cycle of a solar electricity system is decades long. We trust Fortum’s ability to meet its obligations years into the future,” Halonen continues.

Fortum’s strengths in solar electricity projects implemented with business customers are the reliability of a recognised and financially sound company, high-quality and cost-efficient solutions, and experience with successful large-scale solar power plant construction projects. Fortum’s experience in implementing major solar power projects extend to India, e.g., where the total output of Fortum’s solar power plants is about 185 MW.