Roschier advises Kemijoki in a process under the Finnish Water Act

Recent work|September 26, 2024

Roschier represents Kemijoki in a process concerning changes to the company’s fisheries obligations under the Finnish Water Act.

The Regional State Administrative Agency for Northern Finland has issued a decision to amend the fisheries obligations of Kemijoki’s hydropower plants located in the Kemijoki and Raudanjoki rivers. Roschier is currently assisting the company in an appeals process concerning this amendment decision. Additionally, Roschier supported the company in the process that led to this decision, which was initiated by an application submitted by the Lapland Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre).

The case is a significant precedent in Finnish water law. The implementation of the obligations under the amendment decision would result in additional costs to the company amounting to up to 370 million euros and negatively impact on the company’s ability to produce regulating energy. Further, if the claims presented in the original application by the ELY Centre, which have been renewed in the appeals process, are accepted, the total losses to the company would reach approximately 940 million euros and the production of regulating energy would be severely restricted. 

The Kemijoki river is one of Finland’s most significant rivers harnessed for electricity production. The role of domestic hydropower in providing regulating energy is crucial in reaching Finland’s renewable energy and climate change mitigation targets. As the amendments to the fisheries obligations of the hydropower plants in the Kemijoki river would significantly restrict the possibility to produce hydropower, such obligations would have a major negative impact on the functioning of the Finnish electricity system, security of supply and climate change mitigation.

The core advisory team comprises Matias Wallgren, Sanna-Mari Seppälä, Sofia Lyyra, and Sanni-Sofia Marsala.