As Finland generates record amounts of clean electricity, the Nordic nation is turning to Chinese technology to solve a critical challenge: storing wind and solar power to meet peak demand.
New battery energy storage systems are being deployed to bridge the gap between when green energy is produced and when it's most needed, ensuring grid stability, especially during Finland's dark winters.
Wind and solar power usually peak earlier in the day, especially in Finland, where there are only a few hours of daylight in winter time.
But demand jumps later, when people get home and plug in. Batteries bridge that gap, saving clean power for use whenever it's needed. That's where Chinese technology comes in.
"We tried to contact both of them. The manufacturers in China who produce the BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) systems and some of them already have the marketing business in Finland," said Dong Huang, spokesman of CF International Oy, a Finnish trade company and energy solutions provider.
Finland and China have a Joint Action Plan on promoting a future-oriented cooperative partnership, running till 2029. The two countries are working together to build smarter networks, more efficient buildings and better, greener heating and cooling systems.
"Yes, we are quite far in transition. Ninety-five percent of our electricity is non-fossil, and more than 80 percent of heat, so we are very far. Of course, we both have the interest in clean solutions, non-fossil solutions. So we have cooperated in the fields of renewable energy, energy efficiency, smart solutions, and so on," said Riku Huttunen, director general of the Energy Department at Finland's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.
And there's now a growing supply chain when it comes to batteries. with some big storage solutions arriving. In Nurmijrvi, one of Finland's largest electricity storage systems has been commissioned -- a lithium-ion facility made up of container-sized modules.
"To put it under one title, I think flexibility solutions, which means energy storage, energy efficiency in different kinds of forms, and how to make industries also flexible in their energy usage," said Huttunen.
From Finland's point of view, it's the practical next step: more renewables, and more storage to make them work smoothly, hour by hour. And with China in the mix, the focus is turning cooperation into real, scalable solutions.
As Finland boosts clean power, China plays major role in energy storage
As Finland boosts clean power, China plays major role in energy storage
