Finland installed 478 MW of utility-scale solar capacity during the first half of 2026 (H1), according to figures from Renewables Finland.

The total more than doubles Finland’s cumulative utility-scale solar capacity, which now stands at 842 MW across 45 operational PV farms larger than 1 MW.

Klaara Tapper, Advocacy Manager at Renewables Finland, told pv magazine that eight new solar plants started production in Finland so far this year, including 204 MW Kalanti solar park, which is the country’s largest operational PV site to date.

Total renewables capacity in Finland exceeded 10 GW during H1, with wind power capacity reaching 9,535 MW.

Tapper said European funding has played an important role in completing a number of the recently-commissioned solar parks. Newly-operational projects this year include a 20 MW site in northern Finland that was the first to be completed with support from the EU’s cross-border renewables tender scheme. 

There have been three rounds of the cross-border tender, with each offering support to large-scale PV projects in Finland. The first round supported seven Finnish solar projects, the second round backed a further seven, while the third remains open for applications until September 1. 

“We are enormously glad that these funding mechanisms are available for Finnish solar pv projects,” Tapper said. “The industry has taken huge leaps in terms of growth during the past few years, yet there is still much to learn and a lot to achieve.”

Tapper added that there are small and slow yet positive signs of a national economic upturn in Finland. “As soon as the numerous electricity-hungry industrial investments move forward, so does the demand for renewable energy,” she explained. “Everyone is waiting for the positive signs to turn into actual investment decisions and power purchase agreements.”

In February, Tapper told pv magazine that a new Land Use Act looks set to bring a new strict zoning requirement that would apply to all solar power plants above 50 hectares. Tapper now added that the new legislation is still forthcoming but is expected to obstruct the prospects of utility-scale solar and has come under criticism from many key players in the green industry field.

Looking ahead, Tapper said the second half of the year is set to be calmer in terms of new utility-scale solar additions to the Finnish grid. “We’re expecting one 100 MW solar park to start electricity production by the end of the year, with a few smaller projects currently under construction, and expected to get ready at some point during 2027,” she explained. 

According to figures available on Renewables Finland’s website, there are currently four additional large-scale projects under construction with a combined capacity of 128 MW.

Research from LUT University published earlier this year found Finland has the potential to build out up to 68 GW of PV capacity by 2050.

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