Sweden recorded no new wind turbine orders or investment decisions in the first quarter of 2025, raising concerns over the pace of wind power expansion despite ongoing increases in installed capacity, according to a report from the Swedish Wind Energy Association.
While approximately 1GW of new wind capacity was commissioned in 2024, the association noted that this growth is not keeping pace with the rising demand for electricity, nor with industry expectations. The report highlighted a continuing downward trend in turbine orders over recent years.
“Now the expansion of electricity production and the demand for electricity are out of step,” said Erik Almqvist, head of electricity grid and electricity market at the Swedish Wind Energy Association. “In addition, Sweden is going against the trend compared to Europe. To reverse this, strong and rapid measures are needed on both the production and consumption sides.”
Almqvist added that more permits need to be issued, and that already permitted projects require extended timelines to reach investment readiness without undergoing additional approval processes. “When the demand for more electricity gets underway, electrification cannot depend on already licensed projects having to enter into a new, protracted permit process,” he said.
Despite the current slowdown in new commitments, the association said there is still potential for growth. Projects totaling 1,815MW have already secured necessary permits but are awaiting investment decisions. If market conditions improve, these projects could be operational before 2030.
In the first quarter of 2025, Sweden’s wind power sector generated 12.1TWh, accounting for approximately 26% of the country’s total electricity production.
