Estiko Energia, part of Estiko Group, has officially opened the largest solar park in Southern Estonia. Located on the site of the former Raadi military airfield in Tartu, the 106-hectare renewable energy facility is capable of generating enough electricity to cover nearly half of the annual electricity demand of Tartu’s residential consumers.
The Raadi solar park comprises 104,230 solar panels, 203 inverters, 7 weather stations and 3.3 kilometres of service roads, with a peak capacity of 74 MWp. In addition to renewable energy generation, the project places a strong emphasis on biodiversity: dedicated green areas have been preserved throughout the site to provide habitats for small wildlife.
For Estiko Energia, the opening marks the culmination of an almost eight-year process to transform the former military airfield into a modern renewable energy facility.
The development involved extensive site preparation and environmental remediation, including clearing waste and overgrown vegetation, levelling former aircraft shelters, removing large quantities of discarded tyres, demolishing administrative buildings dating from the Soviet era and addressing areas of environmental contamination.
“It has been a long and complex process, requiring us to take into account both the unique characteristics of the site and challenging weather conditions. Today, we can say that more than 100 hectares of previously neglected land have been given a new lease of life and a new purpose,” said Ain Tammvere, managing director of Estiko Energia.
According to Kristo Seli, CEO of Estiko Group, the Raadi solar power plant represents an important milestone for both the company and the city of Tartu.
“Estiko has been active in the energy sector for nine years, and we have worked towards this project for a long time. It is great to see that this effort has finally come to fruition. The next step will be the addition of a battery energy storage system, but our plans for Raadi do not end there. We see opportunities to combine renewable energy generation with other developments and create new value for the entire area,” said Seli.
The Raadi solar park was developed with Smartecon, part of the Verston Group, serving as the main contractor. Smartecon has more than a decade of experience in solar energy and has previously worked with Estiko Energia on the development of other solar parks.
“We thank Estiko Energia for trusting us with responsibility for the entire solution, from design through to grid connection. Projects of this scale require engineers to integrate thousands of devices and multiple systems into one functioning whole. For the client, a turnkey solution means having one responsible partner overseeing both the details and the final result,” said Magno Kure, CEO of Smartecon.
The Raadi energy park will continue to expand. A 20 MW battery energy storage system with a storage capacity of 40 MWh is expected to be added in February next year.
“Once the battery storage system is operational, Raadi will become a modern and efficient energy park that can help reduce pressure on the electricity grid during peak hours and support more stable energy use,” Tammvere added.
Estiko Energia has invested more than €40 million in the Raadi solar park. Since March 2025, 49% of Estiko Energia has been owned by Finnish investment fund UB Renewable Energy, following an investment partnership focused on the development of the Raadi solar power plant.