Publications

Survey of Energy Resources 2007

Wind Country Notes

Sweden
Although Sweden was one of the early pioneers in modern wind power development, embarking on a wind energy programme in 1975, bureaucratic procedures have meant that deployment has been fairly slow.

In 2002 the Parliament set a national planning target of 10 TWh for electricity production from wind power (4 TWh onshore and 6 TWh offshore) by 2015. The Swedish Energy Agency (SEA), in an effort to simplify the administrative procedures, apportioned this target regionally with both the available resource and the region's electricity consumption taken into account. During 2005 information received from 19 of the 21 counties suggested that some 1.5 TWh of capacity was planned.

Three programmes to encourage the growth of wind power have been set for the country: 1) quota-based green certificates (favourable to wind power), 2) production support or 'environmental bonus' (declining each year until zero is reached in 2009 for onshore wind) and 3) the SEA has designated 49 areas in 13 counties as being of national interest from the point of view of wind power. Decisions on permit applications will judge this aspect against other national interests (environmental, etc.).

By end-2005 installed capacity totalled 493 MW with 760 turbines generating 936 GWh during the year. By end-2006 capacity had grown to around 570 MW.

The Invest in Sweden Agency stated in August 2006 that: a total of 128 turbines, capable of generating 2 TWh/yr will be built at a site known as Kriegers Flak, 30 km south of the coast at Trelleborg; that four wind power coordinators had been appointed by the Ministry of Sustainable Development in order to facilitate future investment; and that the Environmental Protection Agency had identified 12 offshore sites, suitable for wind power development.