Swedish government rejects 13 offshore wind projects in Baltic Sea
Author: PPD Team Date: November 6, 2024
The Swedish government has denied 13 applications for offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea, south of the Sea of Åland, citing national defence interests.
The rejected projects include Arkona, Aurora, Baltic Offshore Beta, Cirrus, and others, as they posed potential conflicts with Sweden’s military operations. This decision affects various developers, including Hexicon’s joint venture Freja Offshore, which will halt its Cirrus and Dyning projects.
Defence Minister Pål Jonson emphasized that in the current security climate, with regional conflicts nearby, national defence priorities take precedence over renewable energy considerations.
However, Freja Offshore’s Mareld wind project on the west coast of Sweden remains under government review, following a favorable recommendation from the Västra Götaland County Administrative Board in June 2024.
Separately, in October 2024, Swedish nuclear firm Blykalla collaborated with ABB to establish an electric SMR pilot plant in Oskarshamn, Sweden. This pioneering facility will use ABB’s automation and digitalization expertise to test Blykalla’s SEALER-E lead-cooled fast reactor prototype.