Freja seeks to 'maximise coexistence' as permit request goes in for gigascale far-offshore Swedish wind farm
Mainstream-Hexicon tie-up designs 2GW project in area sensitive to Nordic Country’s military to not unsettle Navy or fishing
Freja Offshore is seeking a permit for another gigascale wind project off southern Sweden, which the Mainstream Renewable Power and Hexicon tie-up said is far enough from the coast to avoid interfering with other interests such as fishing or defence.
The 2GW Cirrus project is located within the Swedish economic zone at about 50 kilometres southeast of Karlskrona, the country’s largest naval base.
Freja Offshore stressed that it has designed the project to maximise coexistence with other users of the sea, with special consideration given to the Swedish Armed Forces and their needs.
"Increasing electricity production is imperative, but there are other important factors as well: defence interests, residential considerations, fishing, and natural values, to name a few,” Freja Offshore CEO Magnus Hallman said.
“That is why we have chosen to place the wind farm as far out at sea as possible, as well as to capitalise on the extremely favourable wind location.
“We will collaborate with all relevant stakeholders in the region to leverage the expertise available to progress the project and we are also prepared to adapt the design of the park to coexist with other interests, should this be necessary.”
Waters off Karlskrona have been sensitive for decades, not least since 1981 when a Soviet Whiskey-class submarine sniffing out Swedish waters ran aground about 10 km from the town, in what has become known as 'Whiskey on the rocks' incident.
As Sweden unlike most European countries doesn’t hold tenders for support or seabed leases, a central government permit is similar to a guarantee to be able to start construction.
Freja Offshore said it plans to build Cirrus as a bottom-fixed offshore wind array, with the possibility to use floating technology for the deepest area.
The wind farm is estimated to produce up to 10TWh of green power per year, sufficient for all single-family homes in the regions of Blekinge, Skåne, Kalmar, Kronoberg, and Halland counties. The connection to the power grid is planned to take place in Sweden’s price zone 4.
Freja Offshore submitted the application for Cirrus and its adjacent grid link under Sweden’s Continental Shelf Act to the ministry of climate and enterprise.
The government will process the application and seek input from several authorities in a consultation round.
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