Norwegian company Deep Wind Offshore has unveiled plans to develop up to 6 GW of offshore wind capacity in Sweden and is planning to use a new generation of massive wind turbines should the projects go ahead
The company’s chief executive Knut Vassbotn said it is planning an initial 1.5-GW project in Sweden but is looking at other projects that could increase its portfolio in the country to 6 GW.
The projects include fixed-bottom and floating windfarms. “It is natural for us to look to Sweden,” said Mr Vassbotn, not least because the Swedish government recently set a target of 20 TWh to 30TWhof offshorewind production andis looking at 120TWhin the long-term.
A recent study found that offshore wind could meet 45% of Sweden’s need for electricity. The study said Swedish electricity demand could triple by 2050 but offshore wind could meet nearly half of that demand if the right reforms are put in place. Swedes in the southernmost region of their country use far more electricity than the region generates, but offshore wind could provide a solution, according to Aegir Insights.
Among the projects the Norwegian company is planning are Erik Segersäll, a floating wind project in Sweden’s economic zone in the Baltic. This project, 40 km offshore from the Stockholm archipelago, is in water depth of more than 100 m, making floating wind turbines essential.
In documentation about the project, Deep Wind Offshore said Erik Segersäll would cover an area of approximately 1,100 km2, sufficient for a maximum of 240 wind turbines of up to 25 MW with a maximum height of 370 m, or a maximum of 300 20-MW turbines with a maximum height of 350 m.
Deep Wind Offshore states that, depending on the final design of the project, it could produce 20-26 TWh of electricity per year. 20 TWh corresponds to the entire Stockholm County consumption in 2020. The company is in the final stages of an initial consultation process for the project. That consultation ends on 16 May 2022.
The Olof Skötkonung project is in much shallower water in the Gulf of Bothnia, 40 km from Gävle and 60 km from Söderhamn. The closest point to shore is Rödhäll, approximately 26 km southwest of the windfarm. It would be built using fixed-bottom foundations for the wind turbines. The water depth in the area varies between 18 m and 75 m.
Depending on the final design, Olof Skötkonung could produce approximately 7.5 TWh of electricity per year, which is more than the electricity consumption of Gävleborg County.
Deep Wind Offshore is owned by Knutsen OAS, Haugaland Kraft and Sunnhordland Kraftlag.
