Sweden approves 4.8GW of offshore wind and rejects 11 projects
Sweden has approved two offshore wind farms and rejected 11 other applications
in its exclusive economic zone.
The approved projects are Fyrskeppet Offshore in the southern Bothnian
Sea and Vidar in the northern Skagerrak. Fyrskeppet
Offshore,
developed by Skyborn Renewables, is planned around 54km east of Söderhamn
and could include up to 93 turbines. The project is expected to generate
between 8TWh and 11TWh of electricity annually.
Vidar
is being developed by Vattenfall and Zephyr and is planned around 35km
south-west of Strömstad. The project could include up to 75 turbines and
generate up to 7.8TWh of electricity annually.
The Swedish government rejected 11 other offshore wind applications due
to their potential impact on national defence capabilities. The projects
included Mareld,
Västvind,
Najaderna,
Gävle
Öst Havsvindpark
and Eystrasalt
Offshore.
The government said the affected sea areas are not permanently excluded
from future offshore wind development and could be reconsidered following
Sweden's planned transition to an auction system. Chris Ayres, EU market
analyst at TGS | 4C, said: “Make no mistake, uncertainty remains in the
Swedish offshore wind market.” He added that while the approvals were
a positive step, defence concerns and Sweden's upcoming general election
were likely to continue weighing on the market.
For more information about offshore wind
farm projects across the globe, click
here.