Covering an area of about 95 hectares, the Simo solar farm will have a capacity of 70 megawatts. The farm is the first industrial solar farm in Lapland. Solarigo Systems Oy acts as the project designer and main contractor for the solar farm project.
The solar farm will strengthen Finland’s energy self-sufficiency and contribute to carbon neutrality goals. The solar farm will be connected to the existing Exilion wind turbines to create a hybrid power plant. Slated for completion by the end of 2025, the Simo solar farm will have an annual output equivalent to the electricity consumption of around 26,000 one-bedroom apartments.
The Finnish energy company Solarigo specializes in large-scale solar power installations and has installed more than 250 local power plants. Solarigo’s Mikko Tuominen is the project manager for the Simo solar farm and responsible for the implementation and scheduling of the entire project. According to him, JIITEE Työt was selected for the project based on its experience in the construction of solar farms:
"The first tests showed the ground at Simo to be very rocky, and the construction of foundations for bracket systems required a significant amount of efficient pre-drilling. JIITEE Työt’s previous references attested to the company’s ability to carry out the work, and this allowed us to get the collaboration off to a smooth start.”
Solarigo Systems Oy
3.5 months
Foundation work on the solar farm as a subcontractor: 23,016 holes drilled
A driller, surveyor and a foreman as the standard crew; hourly workers as required by the main contractor.
The Simo solar farm will contain around 120,000 solar panels, for which JIITEE Työt carried out the foundation work by drilling 23,016 holes in the ground.
"We spent a day in December 2024 doing test drilling, with the actual contract period running from January 13 to April 28, 2025, including all necessary repair work. In total, the project took 106 days, with the drilling completed in just 87 days, which is quite a feat considering the number of holes that had to be drilled in harsh conditions," says Valtteri Aurio, foreman at JIITEE Työt.
Work was carried out seven days a week during the project, with the work scheduled between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. because of noise restrictions. The work progressed as planned throughout the project. Aurio explains: "Throughout the project, work was only interrupted on three days for equipment maintenance. Apart from that, we carried out all the basic maintenance between drilling operations, which helped avoid major work interruptions and was crucial to keeping the project on track.”
An Atlas Copco Smartroc D65 drill rig was used for the work, and the standard crew included a driller, a surveyor and a foreman. In addition, hourly workers were also on site when needed by the main contractor to assist with tasks such as ensuring that the holes remained open and preventing them from freezing.
"We were able to react quickly to the need for additional labor, ensuring that the required number of workers were available on the worksite the very next day,” says Aurio.
During the project, holes were drilled in all weathers, even in sub-zero temperatures. The temperature dropping 25–30 degrees below zero did not stop the work, and the machines were kept running late into the night to ensure that the equipment stayed operational. "During the coldest days, we were the only ones working on the site,” says Aurio, noting that the project was completed on schedule.
JIITEE Työt has been involved in the construction of foundations for numerous solar farms, and this experience could be put to good use in the Simo solar farm project.
"When the work started, we brought sufficient maintenance equipment and the most important spare parts to the site at the same time as the drill rig. We scheduled our work in the different areas according to the needs of the main contractor, and by communicating actively with the site management, we ensured the flow of information and effective collaboration with the site’s other operators," explains Aurio.
JIITEE Työt carried out some additional test drills to survey rocky areas, and regular reports on field conditions were made to other operators.
"In some places, we found rock in the area. When we reported the locations with rocky ground, the main contractor could change plans and reposition cable trenches in some parts. This helped reduce costs as the rocky areas could be avoided," says Aurio.
The site’s other foremen also made use of JIITEE Työt's experience in the construction of solar farms, turning to the company for advice during the project on how best to carry out the work in certain areas.
Aurio regards the Simo solar farm as an all-round success:
"This was my first time in charge of a project as a whole, and everything went really smoothly. Apart from some minor maintenance measures, there were no major challenges, and the project was completed on schedule.”
Tuominen notes that, as in all projects, coordinating the schedules of the various operators involved was key to ensuring that the work was carried out efficiently and without any problems. "The collaboration with JIITEE Työt has been seamless, the project stayed on schedule, and the work was completed as agreed. JIITEE Työt also showed flexibility along the way and successfully modified the content of the contract during the project," he adds.
Aurio stresses that the project’s success is largely due to JIITEE Työt’s highly motivated and skilled staff. "In addition, the careful planning of the repair and maintenance work and the efficient performance of the work were important for success. The project progressed well at every stage and the work was coordinated efficiently with the other operators. It was always nice to go to the worksite when things were going as planned.”
We are able to work even in the most demanding conditions and if necessary, innovate completely new solutions to efficiently carry out the work. So don’t hesitate to contact us when you need a professional on site.
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