The Swedish government has approved two offshore wind projects off the country’s west coast that will see around 100 turbines installed, totalling 1.6 GW of capacity.
Domestic developer and state-owned utility Vattenfall has secured the green light for its 1.2 GW Kattegat Syd offshore wind farm, while its fellow counterpart OX2 has been granted rights to develop a 400 MW wind farm, which is part of a 1.7 GW Galatea-Galene project that involves Ikea’s parent Ingka Investments with a 49% stake.
Sweden has ambitious renewable energy targets of 100% renewable energy production by 2040 and to produce 120 TWh annually from offshore wind. The country has been mostly focused on onshore wind, with only about 200 MW of installed capacity offshore and limited installations since 2013.
The two wind farms, when finished, which the government estimates could take seven to ten years, are expected to produce up to 6.5 TWh of electricity per year.
