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A call for proposals for Finland's first offshore wind turbine has been issued by the country's second largest electricity distribution company, Espoon Sähkö Oy. The installation may be followed by a 5 MW wind farm if results warrant it, says the utility. The project is based on an "offshore on the rocks" concept in which the wind turbine will be installed on a small cliff in an outlying archipelago. In this way offshore wind resources can be utilised as well as low cost foundations, explains Espoon Sähkö's Esa Holtinen. "Instead of an extremely expensive caisson type foundation, a cheap standard hard-rock foundation can be used. At this particular site, also the costs of grid connection will be low because the existing power line comes close to the site," adds Holtinen. All European wind turbine companies are invited to bid for the contract to supply a standard commercial machine with a rated capacity of 450-750 kW. Closing date for bids is May 31, with installation scheduled for May 1996.