Finland’s solar pipeline has moved well beyond the early planning stage, with 77 projects already permitted
Satakunta has emerged as the country’s largest solar development region
A proposed 50-hectare zoning threshold could become an important factor for larger projects
Finland’s utility-scale solar pipeline has expanded to 26.6 GW across 300 projects, with a growing share of developments reaching stages where construction could move ahead relatively quickly.
Finland had nearly 18 GW of renewable energy capacity installed by the end of 2025, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Solar PV accounted for an estimated 1.56 GW, while wind power exceeded 9 GW and hydropower stood at 3.2 GW. The Renewables Finland project database points to further growth in solar capacity in the coming years.
The latest data from Renewables Finland covers projects reported through June 2026. It covers industrial-scale solar projects, with the smallest project in the database at 1.5 MW and the largest at 770 MW. The average project size is 87 MW.
Of the total pipeline, 77 projects totaling 4.67 GW have received building permits. Another seven projects, with a combined capacity of 320 MW, are already under construction.
A further 196 projects, representing 18.58 GW, remain in permitting or study phases. Twenty projects totaling 3.03 GW have been identified, but are at an earlier stage of development.
Renewables Finland, the English name of the Finnish industry association Suomen uusiutuvat ry, said the capacity of permitted projects has risen by more than 1 GW in six months. It also noted that not every project currently being developed is expected to be built, but the number of advanced projects points to a substantial pipeline that could be delivered on a relatively short timeline.
Solar development is spread across several parts of Finland; however, the association identifies Satakunta as the leading region with 29 projects representing a combined planned capacity of about 3.39 GW.
South Ostrobothnia follows with 2.71 GW across 21 projects, while North Ostrobothnia has 2.68 GW across 28 projects. Uusimaa has 27 projects, with total capacity of about 1.76 GW, while Southwest Finland has 27 projects totaling 1.51 GW.
At the municipal level, Kauhajoki has the largest planned capacity at 942 MW, followed by Kouvola at 900 MW, and Lappeenranta at 854 MW. Kankaanpää, Toholampi and Säkylä also have planned capacity of more than 690 MW each. Loviisa has the most projects, with eight developments. Kankaanpää, Kokemäki and Orimattila each have six projects.
The growth in the project pipeline comes as proposed changes to Finland’s Land Use Act could introduce additional zoning requirements for larger solar plants. Under the proposal currently before Parliament, solar power plants covering more than 50 hectares would require zoning.
Renewables Finland criticizes the proposed threshold, arguing that it could increase administrative work and slow projects, including those planned for remote wasteland and former peat production areas.
Renewables Finland CEO Anni Mikkonen said, “Renewable energy investments are not accelerated by adding bureaucracy,” adding that the proposed threshold runs counter to efforts to streamline permitting. Mikkonen also pointed to the government's stated aim of making solar development on wasteland easier, saying that conflicting requirements could make investment planning more difficult. The proposed Land Use Act awaits Parliament’s green signal.
Solar projects increasingly form part of hybrid developments. The project data also shows that solar is being developed alongside other energy technologies.
Renewables Finland’s database includes 300 solar projects, as well as hybrid projects combining solar with batteries, wind or both. It lists 67 wind-plus-battery projects (11.98 GW), 111 solar-plus-battery projects (15.05 GW), 17 wind-and-solar projects (3.11 GW), and 36 projects combining wind, solar and battery storage (10.26 GW) in the project development pipeline.
An earlier study by LUT University found that solar PV in Finland has a lower levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) than wind power. It said Finland could technically and economically meet the continuous electricity needs of data centers using only renewable energy, at an estimated production cost of €103-121/MWh (see LUT Study: Solar, Wind Can Power Data Centers 24/7).
Among project developers in Renewables Finland’s database, Neoen Renewables Finland has the largest cumulative solar project capacity, at 2.27 GW. Forus follows at 1.90 GW, while Ilmatar Energy has 1.39 GW. OX2 and SAJM Holding have 1.24 GW and 1.01 GW, respectively.
Renewables Finland said it will next update its project database in early 2027.
