Yesterday KETL members helped to host a delegation of government staff, academic researchers, and industrial leaders from Finland as they toured Michigan’s Copper Country. Because Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has such a high number of residents that share Finnish descent, some places have Finnish language street signs, saunas dot backyards of houses around the landscape, and there are diners where you can order pannukakku for breakfast.
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https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2022/05/18/finnish-representatives-meet-houghton-county/
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This group sought to renew trends of increased economic and research interests, since the UP says that it is an excellent and friendly location for Finnish and Scandinavian companies to set up their entry into the United States markets. The FinnZone has been an incubator for such efforts:
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KETL members were able to make a series of brief presentations to introduce our work. I pointed out to several people that Finland is among the world’s leaders developing these technologies because of their national commitment to sustainable energy and the circular economy. Last year, EPV Energy received EUR 26.3 million investment from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland. They are developing one of the first underground, closed-loop PUSH projects at the Pyhäsalmi Mine. The mine will become a 530 MWh facility in Pyhäjärvi, Finland. You can read more about it at the EPV website:
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https://www.epv.fi/en/project/a-pump-storage-station-for-pyhasalmi-mine/
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Update! Another local paper did a story, which gives interesting insights into the overlap between Michigan’s Copper Country and the national “Sauna Belt” region!
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https://www.mininggazette.com/news/front-page/2022/05/copper-country-hosts-finnish-delegations/
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And TV news:
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Both Video and print story… and the first one where you can see me in the background!
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