Sweden cancels 13 offshore wind power projects due to potential Russian threat
On Monday, November 4, the Swedish government announced, to the surprise of many, the cancellation of 13 offshore projects with a total capacity of 32 GW, all located in the Baltic Sea.
Most of the projects were in an early development phase. Among the affected offshore wind developers are OX2, Eolus, Ørsted, RWE, Freja Offshore, Deep Wind Offshore, and Statkraft.
The reason for this cancellation, according to the government, is that installing these wind farms could have unacceptable consequences for Sweden’s military defense, given its border with Russia across the Baltic Sea.
According to the Swedish Armed Forces, the wind farms could affect sensors and radars used by the military, making it difficult for the country to respond to any potential future attack from Russia.
Some media report that the Kaliningrad area is particularly sensitive. This is an isolated region of Russian territory bordered by Lithuania to the north and east and Poland to the south.
WindEurope claims that the Swedish military has been blocking offshore wind projects for years, and the government has not done enough to address this conflict.
It is indeed curious that other countries with access to the Baltic Sea and similar areas have not raised such objections. In fact, even Poland seems to see it as an opportunity to increase its surveillance systems, and it plans to equip offshore wind farms with sonar and radar systems in collaboration with its armed forces.
Moreover, given the offshore plans of countries like Poland and Lithuania, projects promoted by these countries should also be problematic for Sweden.
In this regard, WindEurope collaborates with NATO (to which Sweden recently joined, precisely due to the Russian threat) and the European Defence Agency (EDA) to respond to concerns like those raised by the Swedish government and military. This includes the “Symbiosis” project, which aims to promote the coexistence of offshore wind with defense operations and systems.
Another interesting point raised by WindEurope is that this project cancellation reveals the weaknesses of Sweden’s “open-door” development system, where developers can freely choose areas without prior government screening.
In most countries, administrations first identify certain areas that do not conflict with other activities such as defense, fishing, or environmental care. This approach provides legal certainty and avoids many “surprise” cancellations later on.
Despite having attractive maritime space and conditions, the reality is that Sweden currently has only 200 MW of installed offshore wind power—a modest figure considering its neighbor Denmark has 2.6 GW.
Source: Evwind