The share of renewable energy sources, especially wind and solar power, in Nordic electricity production has increased and will likely continue to grow in the coming years.
Balancing renewable generation capacity with electricity consumption is challenging and requires changes to the electricity grid infrastructure. When it is both windy and sunny, the grid can become overloaded. When it is calm and cloudy, the situation can be the opposite. This creates instability in the electricity grid. One way to support grid stability is through electricity storage systems. We wanted to do our part and take on more societal responsibility as part of the broader energy transition.
– This is why we have decided to invest in our own electricity storage system. The state-owned transmission system operator Fingrid Oyj (Finland’s national grid operator) needs electricity storage capacity. Mäkelä Alu participates in Fingrid’s reserve markets with its electricity storage system, explains Development Director Tomi Pilbacka.
Fingrid Oyj manages and oversees Finland’s national electricity grid at a high level. When a company invests in an electricity storage system, it can make an agreement directly or via an intermediary with Fingrid and sell battery capacity to the so-called reserve markets for various purposes.
– Our factory area already has a robust electrical infrastructure, and this investment allows us to utilise it for purposes other than aluminium profile production, he adds.
Although the storage system is not directly linked to aluminium profile manufacturing, it reflects Mäkelä Alu’s forward-looking and open-minded approach.
– One of our values is Challenging Tomorrow. This investment fits that value very well. Finland will need more electricity storage systems in the future, so participating in maintaining grid stability is also a genuinely responsible choice, adds CEO Marko Orpana.
