The Swedish government has approved permits for two offshore wind farms within the country’s exclusive economic zone, while rejecting applications for 11 other projects due to concerns over impacts on national defence capabilities. The approved projects are Skyborn Renewables’ Fyrskeppet Offshore in the southern Bothnian Sea and Vattenfall’s Vidar project in the northern Skagerrak.
Fyrskeppet Offshore could comprise up to 93 wind turbines with a combined capacity of 2.8 GW, while Vidar is planned to include 75 turbines with a maximum capacity of 2 GW. Both projects must be completed by 2036 and will require additional permits for subsea cable installation before construction can begin.
The rejected projects are Bothnia Offshore Lambda North, Bothnia Offshore Sigma, Eystrasalt Offshore, Gretas Klackar 1, Gavle Ost Havsvindpark, Mareld, Najaderna, Olof Skotkonung, Polargrund Offshore, Sylen and Vastvind.
The government stated that the rejected projects would have an unacceptable impact on Sweden’s defence capabilities. It added that some of the affected areas could become relevant for offshore wind development in the future as Sweden moves towards an auction-based support system.
