Neoen and Prokon start the construction of the Björkliden wind farm (40.4 MW) in Finland

• Construction of Neoen's and Prokon's Björkliden wind farm in Finland has begun
• With a capacity of 40.4 MW, the power plant will be fully operational in early 2024
• The project is underpinned by a 10-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Equinix, for 85% of the energy generated
• Björkliden is Neoen's third wind farm in Finland, taking the company's capacity in operation or under construction in the country to over 550 MW

Neoen (ISIN: FR0011675362, ticker: NEOEN), one of the world's leading producers of exclusively renewable energy, and Prokon, a large renewable energy cooperative, have provided notice to proceed to wind turbine supplier Nordex and contractor Keski-Suomen Betonirakenne Oy, signalling the start of the construction of their jointly owned Björkliden wind farm in Finland. Located in the municipality of Närpes, in the western region of Ostrobothnia, the farm will comprise seven Nordex wind turbines, for a total capacity of 40.4 MW. It will be connected to the Brännas substation via a 7-km 110-kV underground cable. It is scheduled to be fully operational in the first quarter of 2024.

The project is underpinned by a 10-year power purchase agreement (PPA) signed in January 2022 with Equinix, a world leader in digital infrastructure provision and services, for 85% of the green energy and guarantees of origin to be produced. The PPA was awarded in the competitive tender issued by Equinix to provide renewable energy for the firm's premises in Finland. It is partially indexed to market prices. Björkliden wind farm will deliver competitively priced electricity, while contributing to Equinix's global commitment to become climate-neutral by 2030.

Neoen owns an 80% stake in the project, the remaining 20% being owned by Prokon, who co-developed this project with Neoen. The farm is located just a few kilometres from the Hedet wind farm (81 MW, commissioned early 2020), which is also jointly owned by Neoen and Prokon and connected to the Brännas substation. Alongside the Mutkalampi wind farm, which is currently under construction and will have a capacity of 404 MW, and Yllikkälä Power Reserve (30 MW / 30 MWh), the first independent, large-capacity battery to be connected to the Finnish grid, Björkliden cements Neoen's status as one of the country's leading and fastest growing renewable energy producers, with over 550 MW in operation or under construction in Finland.

Jerri Loikkanen, Managing Director of Neoen Finland: "We are delighted to see the Björkliden wind farm get off the ground earlier than anticipated. We would like to thank the local communities and the municipality of Närpes for their continued support and renewed trust. With this great project, we are proud to actively contribute to Finland's goal of achieving energy independence and enhanced competitiveness and to help reach the target of net zero emissions by 2035."

Jakob Kjellman, Director of Prokon Finland: "The start of the construction of the Björkliden wind farm is the culmination of a longstanding goal. It shows the ability of the landowners and Prokon to come together behind a shared vision and proves it is possible to act together at the local level to deliver renewable energy for a sustainable society."

Henning von Stechow, CEO of Prokon Regenerative Energien eG, the German parent company of Prokon Wind Energy Finland Oy: "Björkliden marks the realisation of another joint project with Neoen. We can only tackle climate change globally and together. And together with Neoen, we are once again proving that PPAs are a viable way of realising green energy projects without government subsidies."

Xavier Barbaro, CEO and Chairman of Neoen: "We are thrilled to break ground at Björkliden and to further accelerate our development in Finland. I would like to congratulate our team for their hard work and commitment, and to thank Prokon's teams. We are proud to actively support Finland's vision for renewable energy, one of the most ambitious in Europe. As one of our fastest growing countries and with vast potential, Finland plays a key role in our strategy and will actively contribute to meeting our target of 10 GW by 2025."