Ørsted has applied for permits to build four additional large-scale offshore wind farms in Sweden, bringing its Swedish portfolio to a potential total capacity of 18 GW. If fully developed, the new wind farms could cover more than half of Sweden’s total electricity consumption.

The world’s first, largest and most experienced offshore wind developer sees significant demand for renewable and cost-effective electricity in Sweden. Pending permit approvals and a plan for offshore grid build-out, Ørsted is aiming to deliver the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in Sweden, Skåne Offshore Wind Farm, by 2029. With a clear regulatory framework for offshore wind, Ørsted believes the additional four projects can be delivered over the next ten years.

The new projects Ørsted is announcing today can deliver reliable, competitively priced, and domestically produced power where it’s needed most – in western, southern, and central Sweden. Given that Sweden’s power consumption is expected to double by 2035, new sources of power are urgently needed. The delivery dates for Ørsted’s projects are timed to coincide with Svenska kraftnät’s grid build-out plans, so Ørsted can deliver new electricity to the grid as soon as the TSO is ready.

Swedish households need lower electricity prices and energy security. At the same time, companies want to secure access to cost-competitive renewable electricity to navigate the green transition and boost their competitiveness globally. Offshore wind can deliver both of these things for Sweden at a scale that makes a real difference.

With the addition of these four new offshore wind farm sites, Ørsted is committing to the long-term development of Sweden’s offshore wind industry. A stable regulatory framework would help offshore wind meet Sweden’s mid- and long-term electricity need and reach its climate targets at the same time.

“Ørsted’s most advanced existing project in Sweden, the 1,5 GW Skåne Offshore Wind Farm, targets completion as early as 2029 if all relevant permits come in place in 2023. Building on our progress on the Skåne Offshore Wind Farm, this is a further step in Ørsted’s plans to become a major long-term investor and developer of fossil-free energy production in Sweden. I look forward to working with the government and local stakeholders to deliver on the government’s priority: new electricity production that contributes to a rapid expansion of the power system”, says Sebastian Hald Buhl, Ørsted’s Country Manager for Sweden.

“Sweden needs all the electricity production it can get, and offshore wind is clearly the fastest way to get the volumes needed to reduce electricity  prices. In turn, lower energy prices reduce the need for public electricity price support. Our offshore wind projects are strategically located to deliver power directly to where it is needed most, and can help reduce the need for expensive onshore transmission upgrades from northern Sweden to these key load zones. That’s why we believe that offshore grid is a good, cost-effective investment for Sweden”, says Jesper Kühn Olesen, Development Project Director for Ørsted’s offshore wind farms in Sweden. 

Facts about Ørsted’s offshore wind power farms in Sweden

Skåne Offshore Wind Farm (existing project)
– Located nearby Ystad, Trelleborg and Skurup
– Production capacity of 1,5 GW, as much as half of Scania’s electricity consumption
– Set to generate renewable electricity by 2029
Gotland Offshore Wind Farm (existing project)
– Located off the southwestern coast of Gotland
– Production capacity of 1,5 GW
– Set to generate renewable electricity by 2032
Kattegat Offshore Wind Farm (new project)
– Located nearby Halmstad and Falkenberg
– Production capacity of up to 1,5 GW, more than Värmland’s electricity consumption
– Set to generate renewable electricity by 2032
Baltic Central Havsvindpark (new project)
– Located nearby Karlskrona
– Production capacity of up to 4 GW, more than Scania’s electricity consumption
– Set to generate renewable electricity by in 2032
Gävle East and Gävle West Offshore Wind Farms (new projects)
– Located outside Gävle, Ävlkarleby, Tierp and Östhammar
– Production capacity of up to 5,5 GW + 4 GW, more than double Stockholm County’s
electricity consumption
– Set to generate renewable electricity by 2032

Source: Ørsted