Hydropower plants of the River Oulujoki

The construction of the River Oulujoki was prepared even before the Second World War. In the peace treaty of the Continuation War, Finland lost a third of its hydropower. At the same time, the need for electricity increased, which accelerated the construction of the River Oulujoki. The construction of the power plants and their residential areas was a huge work; for example, in the construction site of Pyhäkoski, the biggest of the power plants, there were 1,700 employees at the same time. By the end of the 1950s, power plants were completed in Jylhämä, Nuojua, Utanen, Ala-Utos, Pälli and Montta. The power plants and residential areas designed by architect Aarne Ervi are now nationally valuable cultural history sites.