Swiss energy company Alpiq and Pohjan Voima have today agreed on the acquisition of the Pysäysperä battery storage (BESS) project. The project has been developed by Pohjan Voima.

Energy company Alpiq is acquiring the Pysäysperä BESS project in Haapajärvi from Pohjan Voima. With nominal capacity of 125 MW, Pysäysperä is the largest announced BESS project in Finland. The project is scheduled to start operating in 2027.

"The BESS project in Haapajärvi fits perfectly into our portfolio and our growth strategy in flexible assets in our core geographic markets," says Lukas Gresnigt, Head Business Division International and member of Alpiq's Executive Board. "It is a further commitment to strengthening security of supply and a better climate and enables the energy transition by reliably integrating intermittent renewable energy sources like wind and solar into the energy system while contributing to grid stability."

In Finland, Alpiq already has a 30 megawatt BESS project under construction in Valkeakoski. In spring 2024, the company acquired a majority stake in the Finnish company P2X Solutions, which develops green hydrogen.

“This is a good example of the types of green transition investments that Finland needs now. BESS is important when developing the energy system towards net zero,” says Juho Rönni, Director at Pohjan Voima.

The location of the Pysäysperä BESS project in Haapajärvi is optimal for the national grid, considering where renewable energy production and electricity consumption in Finland are concentrated. It supports the operation of the grid in the best possible way.

“For BESS assets location is critical. From the point of view of supporting the national grid, the location of the Pysäysperä project is among the most attractive in Finland,” says Rönni.

According to Rönni, it is essential for BESS projects that the construction phase and connection to the grid are completed as quickly as possible.

"Pohjan Voima's goal has been to enable the start of operations of the Pysäysperä BESS asset as quickly as possible. To achieve this, we signed the grid connection agreement with Fingrid already in December, and we have carried out extensive preparatory work in view of the construction phase. I would also like to thank the city of Haapajärvi for excellent cooperation during the permitting phase of the project."

The goal is for the construction of the Pysäysperä BESS project to begin this year, and the asset is planned to be operational during 2027.

"The Pohjan Voima team has done an excellent job. They have developed the project from concept to completion in just over a year," says CEO Per-Erik Eriksson from Arise.

Pohjan Voima and the Swedish company Arise are working closely together on the development of wind, solar and BESS. Arise is a renewable energy specialist listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm and owns a majority stake in Pohjan Voima.

"We will continue to develop battery projects in all of our core markets, including Finland. Their importance will increase as the amount of wind and solar electricity increases," says Eriksson.