Ørsted to build four more offshore wind farms in Sweden

With all permits in place and a plan to expand the offshore grid, Ørsted aims to realise the first commercial offshore wind project in Sweden, Skåne Havsvindpark, by 2029. With a clear regulatory framework for offshore wind, Ørsted believes the four additional projects can be realised in the next ten years.

The new projects can deliver reliable, competitive and domestically generated electricity where it is needed most - in western, southern and central Sweden. With Swedish electricity consumption set to double by 2035, according to the Swedish Energy Agency, there is an urgent need for more electricity. The timetable for the completion of the projects coincides with the Swedish Electricity Company's plan to expand the offshore grid. This will allow Ørsted to deliver new electricity as soon as the grid can absorb it.

"Our existing and most advanced project in Sweden, the Skåne offshore wind farm with a production capacity of 1.5 GW, is scheduled for completion as early as 2029 if all relevant permits are obtained by 2023. Building on our recent progress with the Skåne offshore wind farm, this is another step in Ørsted's plans to become a major long-term investor and developer of fossil-free power generation in Sweden. I look forward to working with the government and local stakeholders to deliver on the government's priority: new power generation that contributes to a rapid expansion of the electricity grid," says Sebastian Hald Buhl, President Sweden at Ørsted.

"Sweden needs as much electricity as possible, and offshore wind is clearly the fastest way to achieve the volumes needed to lower electricity prices. Lower energy prices in turn reduce the need for government support for electricity prices. Our offshore wind projects are strategically located to deliver electricity to where it is needed most and can help avoid the need to expand the transmission grid in northern Sweden as expensively as it is needed in the south. Therefore, we believe that offshore grid connections are a good and cost-effective investment for Sweden," says Jesper Kühn Olesen, project manager for Ørsted's offshore wind farms in Sweden.