A Sweden-based renewable power developer, in partnership with the funding arm of Ingka Group–the largest IKEA retailer–has been issued a allow for development of a 5.5-GW offshore wind challenge that will be constructed within the Baltic Sea.
OX2 AB and Ingka Investments on April 3 mentioned officers in Gotland, Sweden, gave the businesses a Natura 2000 allow for the Aurora challenge. The allow implies that authorities assume the wind farm might be constructed with out disruption to the setting.
Wednesday’s information comes sooner or later after a France-based asset administration firm mentioned it could purchase a stake in a number of energy tasks in Sweden, supporting the latter nation’s continued deployment of renewable power. Eiffel Funding Group, headquartered in Paris, on April 2 mentioned it could purchase 50% of a 1.8-GW portfolio of photo voltaic, wind, and power storage belongings in Sweden being developed by Landinfra Vitality. Eiffel in a information launch mentioned the corporate was making the acquisition by its Eiffel Infrastructure Vertes and Eiffel Transition Infrastructure funds teams.
Aurora Offshore Wind
The Aurora offshore wind farm is sited about 14 miles south of Gotland, and about 19 miles east of Oland within the Baltic Sea. Officers mentioned the challenge when totally operational may produce as a lot as 24 TWh of electrical energy yearly.
“Aurora is a wind farm that may actually make an actual distinction and act as a motor within the net-zero transition within the southern components of Sweden,” mentioned Emelie Zakrisson, head of growth of offshore wind in Sweden for OX2. “Export cables from the farm are deliberate to go to the mainland but in addition on to Gotland. The massive-scale manufacturing from Aurora would facilitate for extra native electrical energy manufacturing to be developed in addition to hydrogen manufacturing to assist decarbonize trade and heavy transports.”
The teams mentioned the following step within the allowing course of is for Gotland officers to ask the Swedish authorities whether or not the wind farm might be constructed in line with the Act of Sweden’s unique financial zone. Development may start as quickly as 2028 if the federal government provides the go-ahead, with industrial operation starting by 2030.
If it receives ultimate clearance, development can start in 2028 and manufacturing can begin earlier than 2030.
Eiffel-Landinfra Deal
Eiffel’s funding is in a Landinfra Vitality portfolio of 10 tasks, all underneath growth, that features 1,350 MW of solar energy technology capability and 300 MW of wind energy, all co-located with power storage. The portfolio additionally consists of 140 MW of standalone power storage. Landinfra officers mentioned the tasks signify funding of about $1.6 billion.
Development of the primary of the tasks is predicted in 2025. Landinfra, an organization that develops each offshore and onshore wind, power storage, hydrogen, and different tasks, mentioned it has a portfolio of greater than 5 GW of land-based renewable power, in addition to 10 GW of offshore wind, in growth within the Nordic area.
Marcus Landelin, co-founder and CEO of Landinfra, mentioned of the deal: “Collectively we’ll convey the required capabilities and monetary power so as to add new and far wanted sustainable power manufacturing to SE3 and SE4.” The SE3 and SE4 areas are the southernmost areas of Sweden, a rustic the place electrical energy provide is split into a number of zones. Landelin final 12 months mentioned the corporate was seeking to develop as a lot as 8 GW of offshore wind tasks in 9 areas off the Swedish coast.
Neptunus Hub
OX2 and Ingka Investments are also partnering on an offshore power hub, referred to as Neptunus, off the coast of Blekinge in southern Sweden. The teams earlier this 12 months mentioned the hub can be about 30 miles off the coast, and would come with a 3,100-MW wind farm. Officers mentioned development may start in 2030 based mostly on the present allowing timeline.
The challenge additionally requires offshore hydrogen manufacturing of as a lot as 370,000 tonnes yearly. Plans additionally embody a pilot challenge to make use of oxygen, a byproduct of hydrogen manufacturing, to oxygenate the Baltic Sea and assist restore marine life, in line with Zakrisson.
—Darrell Proctor is a senior affiliate editor for POWER (@POWERmagazine).
