The operational efficiency of the Maalismaa and Kierikki hydropower plants will increase

The Supreme Administrative Court has upheld the permit granting the increase of the maximum permissible water level of the Maalismaa hydropower plant by 0.3 meters and the changing of the minimum discharge volumes of the Kierikki and Maalismaa hydropower plants into 25 m3/s as a daily average. In its recently issued decision, the Supreme Administrative Court upheld the permit changes granted by Northern Finland Environmental Permit Authority on 19 January 2007 and confirmed by Vaasa Administrative Court on 13 November 2007. The permit changes are thus legally valid.

The permit changes have been delayed due to appeals lodged against them. However, the Supreme Court's ruling was issued at an appropriate time with regard to the continuation of the hydropower renovation programme, called VESPA. Renovation work on the Maalismaa hydropower plant will start in the autumn. The change in the fall height has been taken into account in the dimensioning of the new turbine. The machine units in the Kierikki and Maalismaa hydropower plants can in the future be operated at a better efficiency range and the operation of these two plants can be synchronised with the other hydropower plants in the river Iijoki. With the increase of the high water level at the Maalismaa plant, discharge losses and problems caused by slush ice can be reduced. Thus, additional electricity production can be gained.