PV project rejection in Sweden leads to request for legislative changes

Sweden’s Land and Environment Court of Appeal has blocked a plan by European Energy A/S to build a 128-MW solar park in southern Sweden, prompting the Danish company to request “a rapid change” in the regulatory requirements.

Following an appeal of the project’s initial permit from late 2022, the court has blocked the proposal, having determined that it does not have "a sufficient social benefit.” In a statement on Wednesday, the renewables developer announced it would start advocating to change the Environmental Code as the latest judgment severely limits the possibilities of installing large-scale photovoltaic (PV) parks on agricultural land in Sweden.

“The decision pulls back the carpet not only for our project but for many other planned solar parks in Sweden,” said Peter Braun, country manager for European Energy in Sweden, adding that the court has ignored “completely or partially” arguments supporting the development. According to the company, the solar park can co-exist with agriculture and does not threaten food security.

The proposed solar park was planned to be installed in Svedberga, outside the coastal city of Helsingborg, in an area suffering a major power shortage. European Energy intended to combine power generation with agricultural activities. The power output was expected to equal the annual consumption of 35,000 homes.

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