Sweden Approves Two Offshore Wind Farms While Rejecting 11
The Swedish government has approved two offshore wind projects with a combined potential capacity of approximately 4.8 GW, while rejecting 11 other applications due to concerns related to national defence.
The approved projects are Fyrskeppet Offshore and Vidar. Developed by Skyborn Renewables, Fyrskeppet Offshore is planned in the southern Bothnian Sea, around 54 km east of Söderhamn, and could include up to 93 turbines with estimated annual generation of between 8 TWh and 11 TWh.
The Vidar offshore wind project, developed by Vattenfall and Zephyr, is planned approximately 35 km southwest of Strömstad in the northern Skagerrak area. The project could feature up to 75 turbines and generate up to 7.8 TWh annually.
The government rejected 11 other offshore wind applications, citing potential impacts on national defence capabilities. The affected projects included Mareld, Västvind, Najaderna, Gävle Öst Havsvindpark and Eystrasalt Offshore.
The approvals represent progress for Sweden’s offshore wind sector, although market uncertainty remains due to defence considerations and upcoming political developments.
The Swedish government stated that rejected areas are not permanently excluded from future offshore wind development and may be reconsidered as the country moves toward an auction-based system.
