The world’s leading offshore wind developer Ørsted has been granted a Natura 2000 permit for the 1.5 GW Skåne Offshore Wind Farm in Sweden.
The County Administrative Board in Skåne granted Ørsted a permit for the construction and operation of the Skåne Havsvindpark project in connection with a Natura 2000 area south of Skåne.
“ This is a very important and positive announcement from the county board, now there is nothing to prevent the government from giving its approval for the Skåne Offshore Wind Farm”, said Sebastian Hald Buhl , head of Sweden at Ørsted.
“If we get a quick decision this year, the wind farm can deliver cheaper, locally produced and reliable electricity as early as 2029 and contribute to meeting Sweden’s rapidly increasing electricity needs”.
The County Administrative Board has previously recommended the government to grant permission for the wind farm.
The project is planned to be located 22 kilometres south of Ystad and Trelleborg and is expected to produce seven terawatt hours of electricity annually, corresponding to half of Skåne’s electricity use today, according to its developer.
Ørsted is developing a total of six offshore wind farms in Sweden. In addition to Skåne Offshore Wind Park and Gotland Offshore Wind Park, the Denmark-headquartered company said that four more offshore wind farms are planned in western, southern, and central Sweden where there is a great need for increased electricity production.
“This is important for both households and businesses in southern Sweden. Offshore wind power puts pressure on electricity prices and secures access to fossil-free electricity to cope with climate change. After the county board’s announcement, we are a big step closer to realizing Skåne Offshore Wind Park”, said Buhl.