EPV ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION

EPV Electricity Transmission produces services for the Group companies.

For the EPV Electricity Transmission business area, 2018 was a busy year. A record number of new connection contracts and related building projects for primary substations and transmission lines were started. The security of supply of power transmission continued to be high. That is why we decided to merge the Group’s regional grid companies.

EPV Energy’s subsidiary, EPV Alueverkko Oy (EPA), is the second largest electricity transmitter in Finland. EPA’s customers are local distribution network companies, large-scale industry operators and the energy sector’s generation plants in Ostrobothnia, South Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia and Northern Finland.

Developing the network as the demand for wind power increases

In 2018, EPV Alueverkko established a record number of new network connections for wind power. There are currently 5 functioning wind power farms connected to EPA’s network and the construction of six new network connections has begun. Electricity is needed in the project areas at the start of the construction work, and therefore the connections are completed in good time before the wind power farms are deployed.

EPA is developing the transfer network consistently, while applying a long-term plan and building transmission lines that will be better able to accept production that is only now being planned and to transfer it onwards for consumption in the network area and transmission grid. From 2006 to 2018, EPA has built or renovated 290 kilometres of transmission lines, which translates as 24 kilometres a year on average.

In 2018, the design and authorisation of two entirely new transmission lines was begun. These transmission lines will travel from Teuva to Kristinestad and from Malax to the Rajavuori wind power farm in Laihia. The lines are expected to be complete in 2021.

In 2018, transmission lines were being built in:

  • Tuovila – Höysälä 16 km (completed in early 2018)
  • Kurikka – Närpiö cable switch 4 km (completed late 2018)
  • Petalax – Vaskiluoto 32 km (to be completed in spring 2019)
  • Seinäjoki – Itikka – Niemistö 10 km (to be completed in spring 2019)
  • Vörå – Lotlax 5 km (to be completed in summer 2019)

The investments of EPV Alueverkko include primary substations, as well as transmission lines. In 2018, project contracts were signed for building three new primary substations and for implementing the extension of five existing primary substations.

EPV Alueverkko and EPV Tuotantoverkot will be merged together

The EPV Group’s regional grid companies EPV Alueverkko and EPV Tuotantoverkot will be merged into one company. From the beginning of 2019, the companies will continue their operations under the name EPV Alueverkko. The purpose of this merger is to remove overlapping operations, as a company engaging in the electricity transmission business has a great deal of responsibilities and reporting obligations.

EPA transmission from network to consumption, GWh

EPA peak hour capacity for consumption, MWh/h