Sweden has approved the Fyrskeppet and Vidar offshore wind projects while rejecting 11 competing applications over their potential impact on national defence capability, according to the Swedish government.
The decision leaves Fyrskeppet as the only approved offshore wind project on Sweden’s east coast and clears Vidar for up to 205,000 tonnes of annual offshore hydrogen production.
Fyrskeppet, about 54 km east of Söderhamn in the southern Bothnian Sea, may comprise up to 93 fixed-bottom turbines with maximum heights of 350 metres. Skyborn Renewables expects the permitted configuration to provide about 1.4 GW of capacity and generate approximately 5 TWh per year.
Government documents also cite annual generation of between 8 TWh and 11 TWh, but that estimate relates to the original application for up to 187 turbines and between 2 GW and 2.8 GW of capacity.
“The Government’s approval does not automatically mean a project can be built,” Skyborn Sweden managing director Niclas Broman said.
Skyborn said Fyrskeppet would require state-backed risk-sharing, including two-sided contracts for difference and credit guarantees, to support financing.
Vidar, covering about 200 square km in the northern Skagerrak, may include up to 75 floating turbines with maximum heights of 370 metres. The site lies about 25 km west of the Väderöarna islands and 35 km from the Swedish mainland.
The development is designed for about 2 GW of capacity and potential generation of 7.8 TWh per year. Its permit also covers hydrogen production using electrolysers installed offshore. Zephyr said further permits and a solution for connection to Sweden’s transmission grid would be required before an investment decision could be considered.
Both projects must complete authorised construction work within 10 years, or by 2036. Final turbine numbers, heights and positions require consultation with and approval from the Swedish Armed Forces. Separate permits will be needed for subsea export cables.
The rejected projects are Bothnia Offshore Lambda North, Bothnia Offshore Sigma, Eystrasalt Offshore, Gretas Klackar 1, Gävle Öst Havsvindpark, Mareld, Najaderna, Olof Skötkonung, Polargrund Offshore, Sylen and Västvind. Fyrskeppet Offshore AB and KonTiki Vind AB are Swedish limited companies holding the permits for Fyrskeppet and Vidar, respectively.
Skyborn Renewables is a Germany-headquartered offshore wind company owned by Global Infrastructure Partners, part of BlackRock. Zephyr is a Norwegian renewable-energy developer established in 2006.