The Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the Ailangantunturi Pumped Storage Hydropower Project Meets Regulatory Requirements
On 8 July 2026, the Finnish Supervisory Agency issued its reasoned conclusion on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the Ailangantunturi pumped storage hydropower project. The authority concluded that the EIA report fulfils the statutory content requirements and is adequate in quality.
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the Ailangantunturi pumped storage hydropower plant and the 400 kV transmission line to Pirttikoski describes the significant environmental impacts arising from the project. During the ongoing permitting phase, Kemijoki Oy will present concrete mitigation measures to address these impacts.
“The two-year environmental impact assessment process has been an important one, during which we have studied the project’s impacts and engaged in valuable stakeholder dialogue. The feedback received helps us further refine the project design, and in our permit applications we will take into account the significant environmental impacts on the hydrology and fish stocks of Lake Kemijärvi, the small water bodies of Ailangantunturi, birdlife and vegetation,” says Project Director Petri Vihavainen.
The pumped storage project has a significant role in Finland and Europe
The Ailangantunturi pumped storage hydropower plant is a nationally significant energy project and one of the largest energy storage solutions in Finland. It will strengthen the flexibility and security of supply of Finland’s electricity system and increase opportunities for integrating renewable energy.
At the same time, the project has a significant role in improving Europe’s energy security and self-sufficiency, as well as in achieving climate goals. The European Commission has granted the project Project of Common Interest (PCI) status.
“It is important for us to ensure that the project is developed with sufficient precision from the very beginning so that, if implemented, it will benefit both people and the climate locally, nationally and more broadly,” says Vihavainen.
The reasoned conclusion is the coordinating authority’s justified conclusion on the project’s significant environmental impacts, based on the EIA report, the opinions and statements submitted on it, and the authority’s own review. The reasoned conclusion is based on Section 23 of the Finnish Act on Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure (252/2017).
The full reasoned conclusion is available at www.ymparisto.fi/ailangantunturin-pumppuvoimala-YVA (in Finnish).
More information
Petri Vihavainen
Project Director, Kemijoki Oy
tel. 050 321 5887
petri.vihavainen@kemijoki.fi
Erkki Huttula
Manager (Environmental affairs), Kemijoki Oy
tel. 040 571 3361
erkki.huttula@kemijoki.fi