The capacity of electricity connection plays a crucial role in the electrification of industry in Finland
The energy system is undergoing a historic transformation as energy produced with fossil fuels is being replaced with lower-carbon alternatives, such as emission-free electricity. There are many opportunities for direct electrification in industry, but the electrification of industrial companies in Finland often depends on the capacity of the electricity connection. A solution to this is to connect directly to the 110 kilovolt high-voltage network.
Fluctuations in energy prices, market conditions and the demands of the green transition are creating increasing pressure on industrial companies to switch to electric energy production in the future.
There are currently dozens of industrial electrification projects underway in Finland. Over 140 million euros in aid for the electrification of energy-intensive industries, granted by the Energy Authority, was paid out in 2024.
According to Finland’s transmission system operator Fingrid’s forecast, the electricity consumption of industry and data centers in Finland will more than double over the next ten years, growing from 40 terawatt-hours in 2025 to 101 terawatt-hours in 2035.
Upgrading electricity connection improves competitiveness
Electricity enables versatile energy solutions, and by utilizing renewable electricity, the carbon dioxide emissions of energy production are cut to zero. Electric boilers and heat pumps offer an efficient way to produce process steam, district heating and industrial cooling. Investing in renewable energy production also improves national security of supply.
Electric energy solutions require a significant amount of electricity, which requires an electricity connection that is sufficiently efficient and has a sufficiently large capacity. The voltage level determines how much electricity can be taken from the grid. Therefore, an industrial company often needs to connect directly to a 110 kilovolt high-voltage transmission network in order to fully realize the benefits of electrification.
“Upgrading the electricity connections improves competitiveness and increases growth and development opportunities for industrial company. In long-term planning, companies must take into account the implementation of projects with high electricity consumption, as the construction of electricity connections and the necessary infrastructure takes time, and the availability of capacity can vary significantly from region to region,” says Arto Liikanen, Adven’s Account Manager.
Electrification brings direct cost savings and opens opportunities for profitable investments
Electrification brings direct cost benefits to industrial companies, and it also opens up opportunities to invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Upgrading the connection and network service agreement to a higher voltage level reduces electricity transmission costs and enables increased electricity use. At the same time, the costs of energy produced with an electric boiler, for example, also decrease. By including a 110-kilovolt connection in the energy investment, the industrial company also gains reliable, more comprehensive and more affordable electricity transmission service for its core business.
One significant advantage of electrification is the opportunity to take advantage of low hourly electricity prices in energy production.
“Optimizing energy use can result in significant savings, especially if the company’s current form of energy production is expensive. Many of Adven’s customer sites combine the production of electricity and bioenergy, which means that we always optimize the most cost-effective form of production for our customer, considering technical limitations,” says Arto Liikanen.
Along with an electric boiler investment and an upgrade to the electricity connection, it may be beneficial to invest in solar power or waste heat recovery. Electric heat pumps also allow for utilizing waste heat from industrial processes.
Early action is key in electrification projects and electricity connections changes
Changing the electricity connection takes considerable time, so it is advisable to start planning the renewal of energy production or the construction of new sites well in advance. It is important to ensure that the existing electricity connection has sufficient capacity for the needs of electrified energy production and a potential electric boiler. Time must be reserved for planning to determine the power requirement and constructing the necessary network for the connection.
Fingrid, Finland’s transmission system operator, has restricted the connection of new industrial consumption to the main grid in southern Finland in 2025–2027 until the investments to strengthen the main grid are completed. In practice, this means that new large electricity consumption projects may have to wait longer than usual to connect to the main grid over the next two years.
“The investments in the main grid and in the distribution network are not at the level expected by the industry, leading to a shortage of electricity transmission capacity during the green transition. New investments are urgently needed to ensure that the sale of new and larger electricity connections does not stall due to network capacity limitations” says Arto Liikanen.
110 kilovolt electricity connection without own investment
It’s beneficial to start working with an experienced energy partner like Adven early on. We assess the feasibility of the electric boiler investment and determine the location of the nearest regional or main grid, the location of the next voltage step and the availability of power. We also help explore opportunities for investing in solar and wind power, as well as waste heat recovery.
In our Energy as a Service model, we build a connection solution tailored to our customer, through which electricity can be utilized in the necessary energy solutions and directly within the customer’s own factory operations.
“Electrification consists of several components, including the network company’s connection fee, the construction of the necessary infrastructure, and energy solutions required for the system, such as electric boilers and their necessary equipment. We invest in all of these without the need for the customer’s own capital. The customer receives all the investments needed for the electrification solution on a turnkey basis,” concludes Arto Liikanen.
Key benefits of electrification for an industrial company
- Promoting the green transition and decarbonising
- Achieving sustainability goals
- Reliability of the electric energy solution
- Synergy benefits for the customer’s other electricity consumption needs
- Cost-effective investment which creates opportunities to invest in renewable energy sources
- Low operational and maintenance costs
- The changing energy prices in the electricity markets can be leveraged
- Electric boilers, energy storage, and other forms of energy production enable the use of reserve markets
Would you like to discuss about the electrification or the transition to a high-voltage electricity connection in Finland?
Contact
Arto Liikanen, Account Manager
+358 50 455 7439
arto.liikanen@adven.com
Visit also our Finnish article for more technical and local information.
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