Permit advice for net-zero projects

Net-zero projects include     

• net-zero technology manufacturing projects producing end products classified as net-zero technologies or specific components used in their production, or machinery primarily associated with their production 
• CO2 storage or CO2 capture and transport 
• energy-intensive industry decarbonisation projects that are part of the supply chain of a net-zero technology and that reduce emission rates of CO2-eq of industrial processes significantly and permanently.

Net-zero technologies include: 

• solar technologies, including PV, solar thermal electric and solar thermal technologies
• onshore wind and offshore renewable technologies
• battery and energy storage technologies
• heat pumps and geothermal energy technologies
• hydrogen technologies, including electrolysers and fuel cells
• sustainable biogas and biomethane technologies
• CCS technologies
• electricity grid technologies, including electric charging technologies for transport and technologies to digitalise the grid
• nuclear fission energy technologies, including nuclear fuel cycle technologies
• sustainable alternative fuels technologies
• hydropower technologies
• other renewable energy technologies, including osmotic energy technologies, ambient energy technologies (other than heat pumps), biomass technologies, landfill gas technologies, sewage treatment plant gas technologies
• energy system-related energy efficiency technologies, including heat grid technologies
• renewable fuels of non-biological origin technologies
• biotech climate and energy solutions
• transformative industrial technologies for decarbonisation
• CO2 transport and utilisation technologies
• wind propulsion and electric propulsion technologies for transport, including wind propulsion technologies and electric propulsion technologies
• other nuclear technologies

The Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on net-zero industry in Europe entered into force on 29 June 2024. The Regulation is referred to as the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA).

The Net-Zero Industry Act is based on the European Union Green Deal and aims to ensure the safe and sustainable supply of net-zero technologies in the European Union. 

The Act is linked at the bottom of this page.

The status of a net-zero strategic project can be obtained by a project that contributes to achieving the objectives set out in the Net-Zero Industry Act and meets at least one of the criteria below. For example A 1 or B 2. 

A) the project adds manufacturing capacity in the Union for a net-zero technology,

1. for which the Union depends for more than 50 % on imports coming from third countries
2. which has significant impact on the climate or energy objectives of the Union 
3. of which the Union’s manufacturing capacity represents a significant share of world production and which plays a crucial role in the resilience of the Union

B) the project has a clear positive impact on the Union’s net-zero industry by providing access to new or best available technology, and the project

1. puts into place measures to attract, retain, upskill or reskill a workforce required for net-zero technologies 
2. contributes to the competitiveness of SMEs as part of the supply chain of net-zero technologies

C) the project manufactures net-zero technologies through practices that implement improved environmental sustainability and performance or circularity features, including comprehensive low-carbon, energy, water or material efficiency and practices that significantly and permanently reduce emission rates of CO2-eq.

The status of a net-zero strategic project can also be granted to a CO2 storage project or a related CO2 capture or transport infrastructure project.

The CO2 storage project has to meet all of the following criteria: 

• The CO2 storage site is located in the territory of the Union, its exclusive economic zones or on its continental shelf
• The CO2 storage project contributes to reaching the Union’s CO2 storage objective
• The CO2 storage project has applied for a permit for the safe and permanent geological storage of CO2.

The party responsible for a project can apply for strategic status for the project. The application is submitted in the European Union’s common application system. The application has to include: 

• an assessment of the fulfilment of the strategic status criteria 
• a business plan and
• an estimated schedule of the implementation of the project.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment makes a decision on recognition as a strategic project. The party responsible for the project has to submit the application and decision on the strategic status to the point of contact authority for information.

A link to the European Union’s application system and to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment’s net-zero page can be found at the end of this page.

A net-zero project may require several different permits and administrative procedures. including

• environmental permit (ymparisto.fi) 
• water permit and other permits affecting water bodies (ymparisto.fi)
• chemical safety permit (tukes.fi) 
• construction permits (ym.fi) (in Finnish)
• environmental impact assessment (ymparisto.fi)  
• pressure equipment registration (tukes.fi) (in Finnish)
• infringement permit (museovirasto.fi)
• permits and notifications under the Nature Conservation Act (ymparisto.fi) (in Finnish)

The party responsible for a project can submit permit applications and related documents electronically via the Luvat ja valvonta (Permits and Supervision) service and via the e-service channels of the authority processing the matter.

The service is developed continuously to better meet the needs of operators and authorities alike. The aim of the development work is to offer customers permit and supervision services in a single e-service and to streamline cooperation between authorities.

Customer service for environmental matters provides guidance on initiating matters and answers questions and feedback.

[email protected] 

The Permits and Supervision service is linked at the bottom of this page.

The time limits for net-zero projects’ permit-granting process are as follows: 

• 12 months with a yearly manufacturing capacity of less than 1 GW
• 18 months with a yearly manufacturing capacity of 1 GW or more
• 18 months if manufacturing capacity is not measured in GW

The time limits for net-zero strategic projects’ permit granting process are as follows: 

• 9 months with a yearly manufacturing capacity of less than 1 GW
• 12 months with a yearly manufacturing capacity of 1 GW or more
• 12 months when manufacturing capacity is not measured in GW
• 18 months for a CO2 storage site

As a rule, net-zero projects that have received strategic status get priority in the environmental and water permit processing at the Regional State Administrative Agency without a separate application. In net-zero projects classified as a green transition projects, priority must be applied for separately, and a DNSH report must be attached to the application. Such a project may include the manufacture of battery materials or carbon capture. A link to the instructions on how to apply for priority processing can be found at the end of this page. 

The calculation of the time limit includes all permits and administrative procedures necessary for the building, extension, conversion and operation of net-zero manufacturing projects and net-zero strategic projects. These include the environmental impact assessment, environmental permit, building permit, chemical and grid connection permits. 

The calculation of the time limit begins when the relevant authority has determined that the first permit application contains the adequate information to process the matter or when the environmental impact assessment report has been submitted to the relevant authority. The calculation of the time limit ends when the authority processing the matter issues its decision on the last application. Appeals are not included in the calculation of the time limit.

We will prepare a detailed schedule for the permit procedure in cooperation with the authorities processing the matter. We will prepare the schedule within two months of the date of receipt of the application. We will publish the schedule on this webpage. 

If necessary, we can extend the time limit for the permit-granting process by three or six months. The authority processing the matter can submit a justified request for an extension of the time limit.

The time limit can be extended 

• by three months if the nature, complexity, location or size of the project so requires. 
• by six months if the project involves exceptional risks for the health and safety of workers or of the general population. 

If we extend the time limit, we will notify the party responsible for the project. We will accompany the notification with the grounds for the decision and an estimate of when the matter will be decided.

The authority processing the matter has to comply with the time limits for the permit-granting process.

In addition, the authority processing the matter has to inform us of: 

• the initiation of a matter 
• the adequacy of the information given in the application and possible need for supplementary information within 45 days of receiving the application
• issuing a decision 

We will prepare a schedule for the permit procedure together with the authorities processing the matter.

A decision made by the authority processing the matter may be appealed or rectified in accordance with applicable legislation. The instructions for appeal are attached to the decision.

Environmental and water permit matters subject to priority processing shall be processed as urgent cases in the appeal courts in relation to other environmental and water permit matters.

Various dispute resolution procedures can be used to resolve potential conflicts, for example in the early stages of a project. Dispute resolution is voluntary, and it can be agreed upon by the party responsible for the project and the other parties to the dispute.

Financing for net-zero projects can be applied for from various parties. You can find information on funding opportunities on the following websites, among others.

• Grants and aid provided by the Ministry of the Environment
• Business Finland Funding Services
• EU grants, subsidies, funding
• European Investment Bank

Instructions on taxation and labour legislation are available on the following websites, among others. 

• Business taxation
• Corporate tax return
• Labour legislation