WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

this support was withdrawn by an adjustment to the law
stepping into force on 1 January 2012.
Most of Finland’s small hydro plants are run-of-river
plants which have no or relatively small water storage
capacity. These installations normally operate on base
load and use cumulative flow continuously. Only a very
small number are penstock or canal plants. In Finland,
the residual flow is in many cases assumed to be the
flow required for the fishways. If there is a requirement
for a fishway set by the water licence, the right to
control of its design and construction is given to the
fishery resources authority.
Barriers to small hydropower development
In Finland the residual flow issue varies a lot; it is
generally assumed to be the flow required for the fishway.
A minimum bypass flow can be stated in the
hydropower permit, but in many (older) permits there is
no such requirement. Authorities can try to alter the
permit if the conditions have changed significantly but a
court may decide against it. Even with the New Water
Law entering into force on 1 January 2012, there are no
changes expected for permitting or the simplification of
administrative procedures whilst major issues with old
licences remain not covered by the law.
References
1. Central Intelligence Agency (2012). The World
Factbook. Available from
www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/.
2. Finnish Meteorological Institute (2012). Snow
Statistics. Available from
http://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/snow-statistics.
3. Finnish Environment Institute (2012). Annual
hydrological report 2011. Available from
www.ymparisto.fi/default.asp?contentid=409390&lan=E
N.
4. Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st
Century (2011). Renewables 2011 Global Status Report.
Paris: REN21 Secretariat.
5. Official Statistics of Finland (2010). Production of
electricity and heat.. Helsinki. E-book. Available from
www.stat.fi/til/salatuo/2010/salatuo_2010_2011-10-
06_tie_001_en.html. Accessed November 2012.
6. Energimarknadsverket (2012). Introducing the
electricity market. Available from
www.energiamarkkinavirasto.fi/alasivu.asp?gid=127&pg
id=127&languageid=826.
The EU Renewable Directive 2009/28/EC (by 2020) has
not meant any changes for small hydropower in Finland.
The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) is
implemented in Finnish Law and is under application.
The general situation for small hydropower is very
difficult. Some associations question why small
hydropower is not given the same support as other
renewables such as wind power and biomass.
To overcome the barriers, it is necessary:
To include small hydropower in the FIT system as
defined in the existing Finnish renewable energy
sources-production support law of January 1, 2012
and already applied to the other RES sector in
Finland.
To reduce the barriers for developing small
hydropower by setting up clear rules and time
frames in the licensing process.
To reduce the barriers for development of small -
scale pico- (smaller than 10 kW) and microhydropower
(10-100 kW), concerning technical
requirements of grid connection and allow direct
small hydropower energy transmission to nearby
users. In spite of the small hydropower problems in
Finland, an increasing interest to renovate small
sites for private use has been noticed.
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