Downing completes acquisition of three hydropower plants in Finland
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Beyond Generation
29/6/26
5 min
Renewable energy
Case study
Downing’s onshore wind farm in Southern Ostrobothnia is set to become one of Finland’s first co-located wind and battery energy storage system (BESS) developments. It is a step that reveals a momentum shift in the renewables space, from traditional renewable energy assets and generation to storage and grid stability.
At our 30 MW operational Konttisuo wind farm, we identified spare grid capacity and space in order to develop a 20 MW BESS. From the start, the project goals became clear: maximise the utilisation of available grid capacity and increase the site’s revenue potential whilst providing balancing activities to the Finnish grid and users.
Taking a step forward with co-location
In 2024, wind power accounted for around 24% of Finland’s electricity production, coming in second place to nuclear. The contribution of wind generated electricity has grown materially over the last decade as construction and deployment have accelerated significantly, alongside other renewable sources, to become a core part of Finland’s energy mix.
When countries move towards a material contribution from renewable energy in its energy mix, a consideration is intermittency. Electricity is only generated when the wind blows or the sun shines; it does not always line up with hours of consumption.
Co-located storage changes this picture.
The BESS at Konttisuo will be designed to store excess electricity when generation is high and demand is low, releasing it when the reverse occurs. In doing so, it can increase access to energy generated through renewables.
Supporting grid transformation
Finland is one of the countries leading the race in fossil-fuel free electricity generation. In 2024, around 95% of the country’s electricity production came from fossil-free sources, including wind, nuclear, hydro and solar.
As renewable generation continues to increase, grid stability becomes just as important as supply.
Storage plays an important role in the stabilisation of the grid. Investing in and developing adequate energy storage systems, like the BESS on our Konttisuo wind farm, helps reduce pressure during periods of excess generation and supports supply when demand is high, but generation is low.
At Konttisuo, this ensures our wind farm can continue to operate even when grid constraints would ordinarily require turbines to be turned off.
The development of BESS becomes even more important in Finland where seasonal variation is more pronounced. In the colder months, solar generation is reduced and hydropower output can be constrained whilst demand remains high. Utilising BESS effectively, and capturing excess wind power, supports demand profiles throughout these months.
Systematic change
A notable point in the Konttisuo development is that the BESS is being developed on an existing operational asset. Rather than requiring new infrastructure to be built, the development maximises infrastructure that is already in place.
The development of a co-located BESS reflects a broader shift in the energy and infrastructure sector. It highlights how renewable energy assets are no longer viewed in isolation but rather that the power of renewables comes from combining and optimising them together. Co-locating solar, wind and storage pushes the industry forward.
The BESS at Konttisuo will store enough energy to power more than 20,000 homes for a two-hour period, making this energy deployable at times of peak demand. A system of this size demonstrates the impact relatively small additions to existing infrastructure can have, materially improving flexibility and responsiveness.
Looking ahead
The transition to clean energy is moving ahead at pace across the globe, with countries pushing forward various policies in recent years, such as REPowerEU or Clean Power 2030 in the UK.
As this transition progresses, co-located renewable and storage projects are becoming more common, but their adoption varies by market. In Finland, developments like Konttisuo signal a meaningful step forward.
They highlight the growing role of storage in addressing two of the most persistent challenges in renewable energy: intermittency and grid constraint.
As renewable generation increases across Europe, co-location offers a practical way to improve performance, enhance grid resilience, and make better use of existing assets.
What makes projects of this kind noteworthy is not only the technology itself, but the way they reflect a more mature phase of renewable energy development. Early growth in wind and solar focused largely on installing generation capacity as quickly as possible. The next stage is more nuanced: improving how that power is stored, managed and delivered within increasingly complex electricity systems. In that context, co-located storage is less a standalone innovation than a practical response to the operational realities of a low-carbon grid, where flexibility, timing and system resilience are becoming just as important as generation volumes.
Projects like Konttisuo do not just represent a single development. They point towards a systematic advancement where renewable energy systems are more integrated, more flexible, and better aligned with how electricity is actually used.
This was first published in New Energy Today.
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Downing’s onshore wind farm in Southern Ostrobothnia is set to become one of Finland’s first co-located wind and battery energy storage system (BESS) developments. It is a step that reveals a momentum shift in the renewables space, from traditional renewable energy assets and generation to storage and grid stability.
At our 30 MW operational Konttisuo wind farm, we identified spare grid capacity and space in order to develop a 20 MW BESS. From the start, the project goals became clear: maximise the utilisation of available grid capacity and increase the site’s revenue potential whilst providing balancing activities to the Finnish grid and users.
Taking a step forward with co-location
In 2024, wind power accounted for around 24% of Finland’s electricity production, coming in second place to nuclear. The contribution of wind generated electricity has grown materially over the last decade as construction and deployment have accelerated significantly, alongside other renewable sources, to become a core part of Finland’s energy mix.
When countries move towards a material contribution from renewable energy in its energy mix, a consideration is intermittency. Electricity is only generated when the wind blows or the sun shines; it does not always line up with hours of consumption.
Co-located storage changes this picture.
The BESS at Konttisuo will be designed to store excess electricity when generation is high and demand is low, releasing it when the reverse occurs. In doing so, it can increase access to energy generated through renewables.
Supporting grid transformation
Finland is one of the countries leading the race in fossil-fuel free electricity generation. In 2024, around 95% of the country’s electricity production came from fossil-free sources, including wind, nuclear, hydro and solar.
As renewable generation continues to increase, grid stability becomes just as important as supply.
Storage plays an important role in the stabilisation of the grid. Investing in and developing adequate energy storage systems, like the BESS on our Konttisuo wind farm, helps reduce pressure during periods of excess generation and supports supply when demand is high, but generation is low.
At Konttisuo, this ensures our wind farm can continue to operate even when grid constraints would ordinarily require turbines to be turned off.
The development of BESS becomes even more important in Finland where seasonal variation is more pronounced. In the colder months, solar generation is reduced and hydropower output can be constrained whilst demand remains high. Utilising BESS effectively, and capturing excess wind power, supports demand profiles throughout these months.
Systematic change
A notable point in the Konttisuo development is that the BESS is being developed on an existing operational asset. Rather than requiring new infrastructure to be built, the development maximises infrastructure that is already in place.
The development of a co-located BESS reflects a broader shift in the energy and infrastructure sector. It highlights how renewable energy assets are no longer viewed in isolation but rather that the power of renewables comes from combining and optimising them together. Co-locating solar, wind and storage pushes the industry forward.
The BESS at Konttisuo will store enough energy to power more than 20,000 homes for a two-hour period, making this energy deployable at times of peak demand. A system of this size demonstrates the impact relatively small additions to existing infrastructure can have, materially improving flexibility and responsiveness.
Looking ahead
The transition to clean energy is moving ahead at pace across the globe, with countries pushing forward various policies in recent years, such as REPowerEU or Clean Power 2030 in the UK.
As this transition progresses, co-located renewable and storage projects are becoming more common, but their adoption varies by market. In Finland, developments like Konttisuo signal a meaningful step forward.
They highlight the growing role of storage in addressing two of the most persistent challenges in renewable energy: intermittency and grid constraint.
As renewable generation increases across Europe, co-location offers a practical way to improve performance, enhance grid resilience, and make better use of existing assets.
What makes projects of this kind noteworthy is not only the technology itself, but the way they reflect a more mature phase of renewable energy development. Early growth in wind and solar focused largely on installing generation capacity as quickly as possible. The next stage is more nuanced: improving how that power is stored, managed and delivered within increasingly complex electricity systems. In that context, co-located storage is less a standalone innovation than a practical response to the operational realities of a low-carbon grid, where flexibility, timing and system resilience are becoming just as important as generation volumes.
Projects like Konttisuo do not just represent a single development. They point towards a systematic advancement where renewable energy systems are more integrated, more flexible, and better aligned with how electricity is actually used.
This was first published in New Energy Today.
Share
Downing’s onshore wind farm in Southern Ostrobothnia is set to become one of Finland’s first co-located wind and battery energy storage system (BESS) developments. It is a step that reveals a momentum shift in the renewables space, from traditional renewable energy assets and generation to storage and grid stability.
At our 30 MW operational Konttisuo wind farm, we identified spare grid capacity and space in order to develop a 20 MW BESS. From the start, the project goals became clear: maximise the utilisation of available grid capacity and increase the site’s revenue potential whilst providing balancing activities to the Finnish grid and users.
Taking a step forward with co-location
In 2024, wind power accounted for around 24% of Finland’s electricity production, coming in second place to nuclear. The contribution of wind generated electricity has grown materially over the last decade as construction and deployment have accelerated significantly, alongside other renewable sources, to become a core part of Finland’s energy mix.
When countries move towards a material contribution from renewable energy in its energy mix, a consideration is intermittency. Electricity is only generated when the wind blows or the sun shines; it does not always line up with hours of consumption.
Co-located storage changes this picture.
The BESS at Konttisuo will be designed to store excess electricity when generation is high and demand is low, releasing it when the reverse occurs. In doing so, it can increase access to energy generated through renewables.
Supporting grid transformation
Finland is one of the countries leading the race in fossil-fuel free electricity generation. In 2024, around 95% of the country’s electricity production came from fossil-free sources, including wind, nuclear, hydro and solar.
As renewable generation continues to increase, grid stability becomes just as important as supply.
Storage plays an important role in the stabilisation of the grid. Investing in and developing adequate energy storage systems, like the BESS on our Konttisuo wind farm, helps reduce pressure during periods of excess generation and supports supply when demand is high, but generation is low.
At Konttisuo, this ensures our wind farm can continue to operate even when grid constraints would ordinarily require turbines to be turned off.
The development of BESS becomes even more important in Finland where seasonal variation is more pronounced. In the colder months, solar generation is reduced and hydropower output can be constrained whilst demand remains high. Utilising BESS effectively, and capturing excess wind power, supports demand profiles throughout these months.
Systematic change
A notable point in the Konttisuo development is that the BESS is being developed on an existing operational asset. Rather than requiring new infrastructure to be built, the development maximises infrastructure that is already in place.
The development of a co-located BESS reflects a broader shift in the energy and infrastructure sector. It highlights how renewable energy assets are no longer viewed in isolation but rather that the power of renewables comes from combining and optimising them together. Co-locating solar, wind and storage pushes the industry forward.
The BESS at Konttisuo will store enough energy to power more than 20,000 homes for a two-hour period, making this energy deployable at times of peak demand. A system of this size demonstrates the impact relatively small additions to existing infrastructure can have, materially improving flexibility and responsiveness.
Looking ahead
The transition to clean energy is moving ahead at pace across the globe, with countries pushing forward various policies in recent years, such as REPowerEU or Clean Power 2030 in the UK.
As this transition progresses, co-located renewable and storage projects are becoming more common, but their adoption varies by market. In Finland, developments like Konttisuo signal a meaningful step forward.
They highlight the growing role of storage in addressing two of the most persistent challenges in renewable energy: intermittency and grid constraint.
As renewable generation increases across Europe, co-location offers a practical way to improve performance, enhance grid resilience, and make better use of existing assets.
What makes projects of this kind noteworthy is not only the technology itself, but the way they reflect a more mature phase of renewable energy development. Early growth in wind and solar focused largely on installing generation capacity as quickly as possible. The next stage is more nuanced: improving how that power is stored, managed and delivered within increasingly complex electricity systems. In that context, co-located storage is less a standalone innovation than a practical response to the operational realities of a low-carbon grid, where flexibility, timing and system resilience are becoming just as important as generation volumes.
Projects like Konttisuo do not just represent a single development. They point towards a systematic advancement where renewable energy systems are more integrated, more flexible, and better aligned with how electricity is actually used.
This was first published in New Energy Today.
Share
Downing’s onshore wind farm in Southern Ostrobothnia is set to become one of Finland’s first co-located wind and battery energy storage system (BESS) developments. It is a step that reveals a momentum shift in the renewables space, from traditional renewable energy assets and generation to storage and grid stability.
At our 30 MW operational Konttisuo wind farm, we identified spare grid capacity and space in order to develop a 20 MW BESS. From the start, the project goals became clear: maximise the utilisation of available grid capacity and increase the site’s revenue potential whilst providing balancing activities to the Finnish grid and users.
Taking a step forward with co-location
In 2024, wind power accounted for around 24% of Finland’s electricity production, coming in second place to nuclear. The contribution of wind generated electricity has grown materially over the last decade as construction and deployment have accelerated significantly, alongside other renewable sources, to become a core part of Finland’s energy mix.
When countries move towards a material contribution from renewable energy in its energy mix, a consideration is intermittency. Electricity is only generated when the wind blows or the sun shines; it does not always line up with hours of consumption.
Co-located storage changes this picture.
The BESS at Konttisuo will be designed to store excess electricity when generation is high and demand is low, releasing it when the reverse occurs. In doing so, it can increase access to energy generated through renewables.
Supporting grid transformation
Finland is one of the countries leading the race in fossil-fuel free electricity generation. In 2024, around 95% of the country’s electricity production came from fossil-free sources, including wind, nuclear, hydro and solar.
As renewable generation continues to increase, grid stability becomes just as important as supply.
Storage plays an important role in the stabilisation of the grid. Investing in and developing adequate energy storage systems, like the BESS on our Konttisuo wind farm, helps reduce pressure during periods of excess generation and supports supply when demand is high, but generation is low.
At Konttisuo, this ensures our wind farm can continue to operate even when grid constraints would ordinarily require turbines to be turned off.
The development of BESS becomes even more important in Finland where seasonal variation is more pronounced. In the colder months, solar generation is reduced and hydropower output can be constrained whilst demand remains high. Utilising BESS effectively, and capturing excess wind power, supports demand profiles throughout these months.
Systematic change
A notable point in the Konttisuo development is that the BESS is being developed on an existing operational asset. Rather than requiring new infrastructure to be built, the development maximises infrastructure that is already in place.
The development of a co-located BESS reflects a broader shift in the energy and infrastructure sector. It highlights how renewable energy assets are no longer viewed in isolation but rather that the power of renewables comes from combining and optimising them together. Co-locating solar, wind and storage pushes the industry forward.
The BESS at Konttisuo will store enough energy to power more than 20,000 homes for a two-hour period, making this energy deployable at times of peak demand. A system of this size demonstrates the impact relatively small additions to existing infrastructure can have, materially improving flexibility and responsiveness.
Looking ahead
The transition to clean energy is moving ahead at pace across the globe, with countries pushing forward various policies in recent years, such as REPowerEU or Clean Power 2030 in the UK.
As this transition progresses, co-located renewable and storage projects are becoming more common, but their adoption varies by market. In Finland, developments like Konttisuo signal a meaningful step forward.
They highlight the growing role of storage in addressing two of the most persistent challenges in renewable energy: intermittency and grid constraint.
As renewable generation increases across Europe, co-location offers a practical way to improve performance, enhance grid resilience, and make better use of existing assets.
What makes projects of this kind noteworthy is not only the technology itself, but the way they reflect a more mature phase of renewable energy development. Early growth in wind and solar focused largely on installing generation capacity as quickly as possible. The next stage is more nuanced: improving how that power is stored, managed and delivered within increasingly complex electricity systems. In that context, co-located storage is less a standalone innovation than a practical response to the operational realities of a low-carbon grid, where flexibility, timing and system resilience are becoming just as important as generation volumes.
Projects like Konttisuo do not just represent a single development. They point towards a systematic advancement where renewable energy systems are more integrated, more flexible, and better aligned with how electricity is actually used.
This was first published in New Energy Today.
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