Your guide to green permitting in Finland

First steps
Industrial-scale hydrogen electrolyzers
Li-ion battery recycling
Direct air capture of carbon dioxide
Biopesticides

The best place to begin your research is the permits and obligations section on Finland’s digital services platform. When you know what you need, you can even apply for permit packages.

If you’re planning a new construction project, the first step is to determine whether an environmental permit and an environmental impact assessment (EIA) are required. Your project may also require permits for zoning, laying new pipelines, connecting to the grid and more. Permitting processes are typically quickest in areas already zoned for industrial production.

Between 2023 and 2026, green transition projects can receive priority in the permit application process. From 2025, Finland is offering a new clean transition placement permit that allows certain industrial projects to bypass traditional zoning requirements (provided they meet environmental impact assessments and certain other criteria).

By the beginning of 2026, these and other permitting initiatives will be coordinated through a new one-stop-shop permitting authority. By consolidating permitting applications into a single digital process, the new authority aims to significantly accelerate permit approval timelines.

What is the permitting process for different green technologies?

With certain technologies emerging as forerunners in the green transition, we can already provide insight into several specific permitting processes.

1. Industrial-scale hydrogen electrolyzers

Establishing a hydrogen electrolyzer for industry requires a building permit from the relevant local municipality. Processing time is 1 to 3 months for a zoned plot. 

Large-scale operations need a chemical safety permit from the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes). Processing time is around 8 months. Small-scale projects only need to submit a notification to the public-safety authorities. 

To assess your permit needs, consult the KemiDigi list of chemicals and ratio calculator. There is also a Tukes guide on safe handling and storage of hydrogen.

It may be necessary to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), and/or obtain a water and environmental permit from the Regional State Administrative Agency (AVI). Target processing time is 10 months. 

2. Li-ion battery recycling

Establishing a li-ion battery recycling plant requires a building permit from the local municipality. Processing time is 1 to 3 months. Local municipalities also provide permits for new electricity connections, transmission pipelines and other infrastructure.

Large-scale li-ion recycling operations need a chemical safety permit from the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes). Processing time is around 8 months. Small-scale projects only need to submit a notification to the public-safety authorities. To assess your permit needs, consult the KemiDigi list of chemicals and ratio calculator.

It may also be necessary to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), and/or obtain a water and environmental permit from the Regional State Administrative Agency (AVI). Target processing time is 10 months.

Lithium-ion batteries can be taken in by waste treatment plants that have an environmental permit for receiving and processing batteries. Find out more from Finland’s battery recycling organization, including guidance on relevant environmental legislation.

3. Direct air capture of carbon dioxide

At the time of writing, Finland has not granted an environmental permit for a plant that captures carbon dioxide directly from the air. Finnish authorities would need detailed information about a proposed plant in order to provide information on the required permits. Requirements will align with those of other industrial operations.

While Finland has no specific legislation on carbon capture, operations need to follow the country’s strict quality requirements for carbon dioxide streams. In addition to carbon dioxide, streams may contain small amounts of substances resulting from processing and capturing. Substances added for monitoring during transport are also permitted in small quantities.

Concentrations of these substances must not endanger health, harm the environment or compromise safety. No waste materials defined under Finland’s Waste Act (646/2011) may be added to a carbon dioxide stream in order to dispose of it.

Carbon capture operators are obliged to investigate the composition of carbon dioxide streams and assess any associated risks. Carbon dioxide can only be captured if risk assessments confirm that concentrations of any other substances meet regulatory limits. Operators must keep detailed records of carbon dioxide streams delivered for geological storage.

4. Biopesticides

Marketing and selling enzymatic and biotechnology-based pesticidies for Finnish domestic agriculture follows the EU’s two-phase structure for plant protection products (PPPs).

The active substance must first receive approval at the EU level (1 to 3 years), before the relevant national body authorizes the substance for use in country. Information about all authorized PPPs in Finland can be found in the KemiDigi plant protection products register.

The European Commission provides detailed information on the data requirements for active substances and PPPs. Note that PPTs produced via enzymatic or biotechnology methods are considered as chemicals. Their data requirements, approvals and authorization processes thus follow the rules of chemical PPPs.

The Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) handles applications for the authorization of PPPs in Finland. Processing time is approximately 120 days when the product has received prior approval in another EU Northern Zone member state and mutual recognition can be applied. 

The Northern Zone has produced guidance on work sharing in the authorization of PPPs.

In Finland, professional PPP users must complete mandatory training and obtain certification. The Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) has authorised some 220 training providers.