FINLAND
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Country Summary
2010 analysis: main findings
The 2010 analysis showed that in spite of a comparatively high share of combined heat and power (CHP), district heating, biomass and hydro energy, other renewable options were hardly supported. Finland had policies to stimulate the use of renewable energy but all of these were on a voluntary basis. The clear focus is on nuclear energy with two additional nuclear reactors being targeted besides the one already under construction. In addition it is worth mentioning that:
- Under the ‘National Forest Programme’, the Finnish forests are monitored and conserved. Since the 1970s, the area of forest is constantly increasing.
- Finnish industry can be considered as comparatively energy efficient, mostly because of frequent use of CHP. Heat from power plants and industrial processes is used both in industry and for district heating.
Success Stories
- Finlandcould benefit from policy measures that support energy saving and energy efficiency. The present plans to lower energy taxation for energy-intensive industries would result in lower incentives to save energy and thus should not be implemented.
- There is a clear focus on renewable energy production for biofuels and hydro energy. The target levels and subsidies for wind power, solar energy and geothermal energy are not very ambitious and could be increased. Thus, small and micro-scale renewable energy production should be promoted. The taxation of peat should be strictly connected to its CO2 emissions.
- The transport sector is underrepresented in energy and climate policies. There are no instruments to promote electric vehicles or a modal shift.
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