Ørsted applies to build 15GW offshore capacity in Sweden
Danish energy company Ørsted has submitted an application to build 15GW of new offshore wind power capacity in Sweden, Reuters have reported.
The company plans to develop capacity around the southern tip of Sweden and the Gulf of Bothnia in the north.
The proposed capacity could be delivered over the next ten years if approved, according to the report.
With the new capacity, Ørsted aims to help lower power prices and drive the development of new green industries.
Jesper Kuhn Olesen, director of Ørsted Sweden, says: “Sweden needs all the electricity production it can get, and offshore wind is clearly the fastest way to get the volumes needed to lower electricity prices.”
The latest plan is an addition to Ørsted’s standing plan for 3GW of renewable energy capacity in Sweden.
The new application will expand the company’s portfolio in the country to 18GW, which is enough to cover more than half of Sweden’s total power consumption.
Ørsted’s existing projects in the country include the 1.5 GW offshore wind farm Skaane, which is located on the southern coast and could be commissioned in 2029.
The company’s goal to build more offshore wind capacity in the region coincides with grid expansion plans from Swedish grid operator Svenska kraftnaet, which is working to expand Sweden’s transmission grid to the country’s maritime territory.
Reuters noted that Sweden currently has only 0.2 GW of installed offshore wind capacity, having not built any wind farms since 2013.
Lobby group Wind Europe said the country has instead focused on onshore project development.
Last November, Ørsted awarded a scheduled preventive maintenance contract for the Hornsea II wind farm to Sembmarine SLP, a subsidiary of Sembcorp Marine.
The 1.3GW wind project is located 89km off the Yorkshire coast in the UK’s North Sea.