Blekinge Offshore AB has withdrawn its application for an environmental permit for an offshore wind farm off the coast of Sölvesborg, Sweden. The decision comes after the Swedish Armed Forces, in their statement ahead of the main hearing, declared that coexistence in the project area is not feasible.
– Since the Armed Forces have stated that they are not willing to participate in the upcoming main hearing, we see no possibility to proceed under the current circumstances. Therefore, we have withdrawn our application and will revisit the project when conditions change. At present, neither the financial conditions nor the political will exist at the national level in Sweden, says Anders Nilsson, a Sölvesborg resident who has spent nearly 20 years working to make a wind farm in Hanö Bay a reality.
Blekinge Offshore is planned to be located approximately eleven kilometers from the mainland and about five kilometers east of Hanö, within an area in Sölvesborg Municipality’s territorial waters designated as suitable for energy production in Blekinge’s coastal municipalities’ maritime plans.
– The project has a unique local anchoring, with support from all political parties in Sölvesborg. In the longer perspective, we remain convinced that Blekinge Offshore can not only be an important part of Sweden’s electricity supply but also contribute positively to the country’s defense capabilities, says Per Witalisson, CEO of Eolus, the majority owner of the project company.
In 2016, the Swedish government rejected Blekinge Offshore’s permit application for an earlier version of the project, citing the interests of the Armed Forces. The objections at the time mainly related to the project area’s overlap with a marine training zone and insufficient spacing between the wind turbines. Since 2021, a new project has been developed with a 40% smaller area, 90% fewer turbines, and a fourfold increase in the spacing between them—now two kilometers apart.
In collaboration with several municipalities in the region, Blekinge Offshore has proposed an alternative training area five times the size of the wind farm, sought dialogue on minimum flight altitude, and presented potential technical solutions to enhance defense capabilities through installations on the turbines. Some of these include:
- Sensors enabling the detection of unauthorized activity near the wind turbines.
- Sensors that capture acoustic signals from nearby aircraft or ships, as well as underwater sensors to detect submarines, complementing radar systems for monitoring activity in the area.
- Security and intrusion detection systems, such as drones with surveillance capabilities that can patrol the area and provide real-time imagery to military and/or wind farm operators.
- The possibility of strengthening NATO’s “Drone Wall” project by serving as dual-use platforms for both renewable energy production and defense infrastructure.
- Potential support for military exercises and naval operations to enhance Sweden’s defense capabilities in areas with wind power installations.
About Blekinge Offshore:
Annual electricity production: 4.3 TWh
Number of turbines: max 70
Total height: max 330 m
Project area size: approx. 150 km²
Spacing between turbines: approx. 2,000 m
