Publications

Survey of Energy Resources 2007

Peat Country Notes

Finland

With their total area of some 89 000 km², the Finnish peatlands are some of the most important in Europe and indeed globally - Finland has the highest proportion of wetlands of any nation in the world. Peat deposits are found throughout Finland, with a greater density to the west and north of the country.

The area of peat potentially suitable for commercial extraction is 6 220 km², of which about 22% contains high-grade peat suitable for horticulture and soil improvement. The remaining 78% (together with other deposits from which the surface layers have been harvested for horticultural use) is suitable for fuel peat production. In 1995, the total area used for peat production was only 530 km², from which 25.8 million m³ were extracted for fuel use and 2.1 million m³ for non-energy uses.

In 2004, CHP plants accounted for almost 52%, and power stations for 31%, of the total national consumption of fuel peat; industrial users consumed 12%, the balance being used in heat plants (4%), and directly in the residential and agricultural sector (1%).