The Swedish government has rejected planning applications for two offshore wind projects developed by Eolus, Vaestvind off Gothenburg and Najaderna off Gaevle, citing incompatible impacts on national defence. The decision, announced on 16 July 2026, was part of a wider round in which the government turned down 11 offshore projects and approved two.
Vaestvind and Najaderna were each planned at around 1,000 MW. Vaestvind had notable regional backing, with the Port of Gothenburg as co-owner and a letter of intent from Volvo Cars to buy a large share of the electricity. Eolus chief executive Per Witalisson said the company would analyse the decisions and their consequences.
The rejections mark a shift in how Sweden handles offshore wind. The government said it would move from the current open application procedure to a tender-based system, in which the state designates sites and invites bids rather than assessing developer-led proposals one by one.
Defence objections have become a recurring obstacle for offshore wind in the Baltic Sea, where military and radar considerations increasingly compete with energy planning. For developers, the move to tenders promises clearer siting but also less say over where and when projects can go ahead.
