The Swedish Government has denied applications for 13 proposed offshore wind projects in the Baltic Sea, south of the Sea of Åland, due to potential conflicts with national defence interests. The projects affected include Arkona, Aurora, Baltic Offshore Beta, Baltic Offshore Delta North, Cirrus, Swell, Erik Segersäll, Neptune, Pleione, Ski Blades, Skåne Offshore Wind Park, Southern Victoria, and Triton.
Despite the intended benefits of adding fossil-free electricity to Sweden’s energy mix, the government ruled that the projects would pose risks to defence operations. Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari explained that “the testing of wind power often raises complex conflicts of interest and therefore requires careful consideration,” noting that defence concerns ultimately outweighed other factors in this case.
Defence Minister Pål Jonson underscored the importance of national security, especially given Sweden’s current geopolitical environment. He stated, “Based on the Armed Forces’ documentation, the government makes the assessment that it would lead to unacceptable consequences for Sweden’s military defense to build the projects in question,” citing the impact of war in neighboring regions as a factor influencing the decision.
As a result, Hexicon’s joint venture with Mainstream Renewable Power, Freja Offshore, will halt its work on the Cirrus and Dyning projects. Freja Offshore has been working to develop offshore wind farms along Sweden’s coast since 2021 and will now shift focus to the Mareld project off Sweden’s west coast, which received a favorable recommendation from the Västra Götaland County Administrative Board in June and is under government review.
