Freja Offshore, a joint venture between Hexicon and Mainstream Renewable Power, has been granted a Natura 2000 permit for the Mareld floating offshore wind farm in Sweden by the County Administrative Board of Västra Götaland.
The project is planned to be built approximately 40 kilometres west of Lysekil, off the coast of Bohuslän, in the Swedish exclusive economic zone.
According to the developer, Mareld has the capacity to generate up to 12 TWh of electricity per year, enough to power around two million homes.
The permit shows that the floating offshore wind farm can be implemented, taking into account the area’s high natural values and that offshore wind can coexist with protected environments, said Freja Offshore.
In June 2024, the County Administrative Board recommended that the Swedish government approve the project.
“The Natura 2000 permit is a welcome announcement and confirms our commitment to creating a sustainable wind farm that respects sensitive natural values. We are now working carefully to review the additional conditions that the permit imposes on us,” commented Marcus Thor , Chairman of the Board of Freja Offshore.
The Natura 2000 permit is one of three permits required to build the project. The next step is to obtain government approval for the two remaining permits, under the Swedish Economic Zone Act (SEZ) and the Continental Shelf Act (KSL), which have already been recommended by the County Administrative Board and SGU, respectively.
In April 2023, Freja Offshore submitted a planning application under SEZ for the 2.5 GW Mareld floating offshore wind farm. A year later, the developer entered into a collaboration with Subfarm to enable fish farms inside the project, proposed to be built in the North Sea.
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