UPM-Biofore-Magazine-2-2019

FINLAND’S ENERGY PRODUCTION IN NUMBERS:

47% share of renewable energy sources in electricity generation 19% of electricity generation is biomass-based

19% of electricity is produced by hydropower 79% emission-free electricity of total production

The Finnish government has set the target of making Finland climate neutral by 2035.

Farewell to fossil fuels One of the most critical steps in mitigating climate change is the phase- out of fossil fuels. This, however, is hindered by fossil fuel subsidies amounting to hundreds of millions of euros annually. The Emissions Trading Scheme created by the EU supports the construction of renewable energy infrastructure through emissions quotas based on carbon credits and political decisions. The objective of emissions trading is to enable new energy sources to be utilised without national support measures, turning them into profitable production methods. “If the EU strictly complies with its energy policy, implements its climate policy in accordance with the Paris Agreement and enforces more stringent emissions quotas, the energy industry will cease using coal and brown coal in energy production. Eventually, coal will be replaced completely, and Finland, for example, is already well under way in these efforts,” Leskelä states. “We have to cut emissions in other sectors as well, for example, in transport, agriculture and industrial processes. There is still plenty of work to be done. Societies must invest in technological advancement to enable further reduction of emissions.”

production significantly. The higher the share of the base load generated by nuclear energy, the easier it is to produce the remaining requirement through functional, emission-free methods,” Leskelä says. Leskelä explains that like other forms of energy production, nuclear power is in the midst of a transition. In particular, he mentions the recent development of small, modular nuclear power plants as a very interesting development. “Modular nuclear power plants may become a significant alternative to conventional nuclear power plants. It is essential for the future of nuclear power to reduce the time and cost of plant construction. Safety management is easier at modular nuclear plants, and they require smaller safety zones.”

production emissions in the past ten years, and we will continue reducing emissions just as efficiently in the next decade,” Leskelä states. Increasing the volume of nuclear energy is an essential step in solving the climate crisis. There are new nuclear power plant projects currently under way that will increase Finland’s emission-free electricity production capacity. Finland’s current nuclear power capacity is slightly less than 3,000 megawatts, while the country’s minimum daily electricity consumption is approximately 6,000 megawatts. “We can increase the volume of emission-free base load energy

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