Vattenfall halts developing 640 MW Kriegers Flak offshore wind farm in Sweden
Swedish power company Vattenfall has decided to halt the development of the 640 MW Kriegers Flak offshore wind farm, citing “unviable investment prerequisites” in Sweden. Located 30 km south of Trelleborg, the Kriegers Flak site was expected to generate 2.7T terawatt hours (TWh) of energy annually, enough to power 500,000 households each year.
In May 2022, the Swedish government granted a construction permit for the project, allowing for the installation of 35 to 50 wind turbines. The wind farm was originally planned to begin production in 2028, but this timeline is no longer feasible. Vattenfall has stated that the project could resume if investment conditions improve and the necessary permits remain valid.
A key issue for the project is the lack of a reasonable connection point to the national grid offshore, which Vattenfall has identified as a critical requirement for proceeding with the investment. Despite this setback, Vattenfall continues to develop other offshore wind projects in Sweden, with the potential to deliver 18TWh of fossil-free electricity annually by 2035.
In August 2024, Vattenfall partnered with Industrikraft, a consortium of major Swedish industrial firms, to develop clean energy solutions and meet the country’s growing electricity demand driven by decarbonization and electrification efforts. The Industrikraft consortium includes companies such as Alfa Laval, Boliden, SKF, Stora Enso, and Volvo Group. These companies are working together to secure investments in new electricity generation, focusing on co-investment strategies, project identification, and evaluating feasibility related to permits, grid connections, and profitability.