Huge Swedish floating wind project secures crucial permit
Hexicon-Mainstream link-up wins welcome boost after other projects were rejected on national security grounds
Sweden's biggest floating offshore wind project has secured a key environmental permit in a welcome boost to the country's wind sector after 13 projects were culled last year on national security grounds.
Freja Offshore obtained a Natura 2000 permit for its proposed 2.5GW Mareld floating offshore wind farm off the west coast of Sweden, along with a recommendation for government approval.
Obtaining a Natura 2000 permit for Mareld means this project, located in a less militarily sensitive area, is just one step away from final approval and a possible final investment decision.
Biodiversity issues
Mareld will be located off the coast of Bohuslän, approximately 40 kilometres west of Lysekil, within Sweden's exclusive economic zone.
The Natura 2000 permit was issued by the County Administrative Board of Västra Götaland.
Natura 2000 permitting covers a European Union-wide network of protected areas established to help preserve biodiversity.
Bratten, which borders the area where Mareld has been granted permission, hosts a unique ecosystem that plays a vital role in supporting marine species and habitats.
The developer stated that successful permitting demonstrated that "the project can be carried out with respect for the area’s high natural values and that offshore wind power can coexist with protected environments".
“The Natura 2000 permit is an important milestone for Mareld and confirms our commitment to developing a sustainable offshore wind farm that respects sensitive natural values.” said Freja Offshore chairman Marcus Thor.
“We are now carefully reviewing the additional conditions that come with the permit and hope that the Swedish government will come back with a final approval in the near future.”
Obtaining permits has been a critical challenge for Swedish authorities as local and central authorities try to balance efforts to build new offshore wind farms with environmental and national security issues.
The list of rejected projects included Hexicon/Mainstream's 2GW Cirrhus bottom-fixed wind project and their proposed 2.5GW Dyning floating wind array.
The Mareld project is located in the country’s economic zone northwest of Sweden’s second largest city, Gothenburg, and at the sea border with Denmark and Norway.
Fully developed, it has the potential to deliver up to 12 TWh annually to the Swedish power grid.
Electricity demand in Western Sweden is expected to double by 2030, Freja Offshore noted.
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