Sweden rejects 13 offshore wind projects over national security risks

The Swedish government announced today that it has rejected the applications for 13 offshore wind projects, with a combined capacity of over 30 GW, in the Baltic Sea, citing national security and defence risks.

The positioning of wind farms can negatively impact Sweden's defence capabilities, obstructing the radar range of the Armed Forces. The government said the installation of the power stations could delay reaction time in the event of an attack.

"Based on the Armed Forces' documentation, the government assesses that it would lead to unacceptable consequences for Sweden's military defence to build the projects in question. In the serious security policy situation Sweden now finds itself in, with war in our immediate area, the defence interest must weigh heavily when judgments like this are made", said defence minister Pål Jonson.

Among the schemes that were shelved are, as follows:

One project, named Poseidon, was approved and will go forward, as announced at a news conference held on Monday by Jonson, energy minister Ebba Busch and climate and environment minister Romina Pourmokhtari.

The wind park is expected to be equipped with 81 wind turbines with a maximum height of 340 metres. Once commissioned, it will produce up to 5.5 TWh of clean power annually.

Swedish floating wind specialist Hexicon AB (STO:HEXI) reacted promptly to the government’s decision, saying that its joint venture with Mainstream Renewable Power “terminates the work with the Cirrus and Dyning projects.”

Freja Offshore is also developing the Mareld wind farm, which is planned off the west coast of Sweden. In June, the scheme secured a recommendation from the County Administrative Board of Vastra Gotaland County and is currently being examined by the Swedish government.

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