It’s not a competition but everything happening on the ground counters your ”cursed” argument. Most of the wind power projects are currently 140 mean height. What is wind power ppa-price in Iceland?
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We're only just starting building wind power because our geo and hydro are so cheap.
Let's put it another way: where are electricity-hungry industries like alumium smelters and datacentres choosing to be positioned - Finland or Iceland?
(To be clear, it's not *just* due to having extremely cheap competition; our regulatory system is also a mess when it comes to windpower, as it was designed around hydro & geo. As a result, unlike the 2-4y for a new project in the US or 3-5 in the EU, you're looking at at least 10y here.)
As for the price of your nuclear, Areva literally went bankrupt largely due to cost overruns on Olkiluoto 3. The fact that *Finnish ratepayers* don't bear the true cost of the project doesn't change what the true cost was. You also have your rates propped down by power exchange with Sweden+Norway.
(Not that the half of your power which isn't renewable is even relevant to the discussion)
Their hydro buffer is what allows you - even when you run near net-neutral on exports (a relatively new phenomenon) - to minimize your amount of load following and storage.
Norway's hydro power is, like ours, extremely cheap. The exchange with Norway in effect subisidizes your power. Your power costs have nothing to do with Finland being good siting for renewables. It's terrible siting for renewables.
And I'll repeat: a 100m turbine in Finland in the best location outside the far north has a mean power density a literal order of magnitude less than a mere 10m turbine located just right outside our capitol.
Your power rates are relatively low for Europe because:
* You got quite a steal on your nuclear power (old plants used to be cheaper to built, Areva ate OL3's losses, & your government subsidized the loans)
* You use heavy use of CHP; selling heat subsidizes electricity
* Biomass power from...
We will soon have 10 GW of wind and 3 GW of solar even though prices are already too low in the summer (bc of nuclear and solar). Everything after that is speculative and reliant on additional consumption but that is far from cursed location. Our national grid operator’s estimate:
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Let's put it another way: where are electricity-hungry industries like alumium smelters and datacentres choosing to be positioned - Finland or Iceland?
Their hydro buffer is what allows you - even when you run near net-neutral on exports (a relatively new phenomenon) - to minimize your amount of load following and storage.
This is a fact. It's not up for debate.
* You got quite a steal on your nuclear power (old plants used to be cheaper to built, Areva ate OL3's losses, & your government subsidized the loans)
* You use heavy use of CHP; selling heat subsidizes electricity
* Biomass power from...