Kemijoki Oy Holds Public Event in Kemijärvi for Ailangantunturi Project
Kemijärvi residents and interested parties gathered on March 18 for a public event discussing Kemijoki Oy's Ailangantunturi pumped storage power plant project. Around 150 individuals attended either in person or remotely.
Kemijoki Oy hosted a public event on March 18 at the Kemijärvi Cultural Centre regarding the Ailangantunturi pumped storage power plant project. Approximately 150 local residents and individuals interested in the project attended, either on-site or remotely.
During the event, Kemijoki Oy's CEO Tuomas Timonen discussed the importance of pumped storage power for Finland and Lapland. Petri Vihavainen, Vice President of Electricity Markets and Strategy, then explained the need for regulating power and the benefits of Kemijoki Oy's project for Finnish electricity users. AFRY, the consultant for the environmental impact assessment (EIA), presented initial results from water system modeling of Lake Kemijärvi, as well as nature and other inventories.
The event spanned 2.5 hours, with the final hour dedicated to small group discussions. Nine Kemijoki Oy experts were present to answer questions and address concerns from residents. Experts from AFRY were also available.
The EIA report is scheduled for finalization this spring, with further public presentations planned in Kemijärvi. The report will be submitted to the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Lapland (ELY Centre) in May. The ELY Centre will then publish the report and solicit public opinions. The EIA procedure is expected to conclude in late summer 2025.