Ilmatar has applied for an environmental permit for its 450MW Tönnersjö solar farm, spanning 450 hectares in the County of Halland, southwestern Sweden.
Planning the site began in 2022 when the developer signed a land lease agreement with forest owner Silvestica Green Forest.
Following environmental impact assessments and consultations, the application for the 450-hectare park has now been formally submitted to Halland County authorities.
With the submission of the permit application for Tönnersjö, Ilmatar has achieved a significant milestone, surpassing 1GW in project applications submitted to authorities, primarily concentrated in high-demand regions like southern Sweden, it said.
The developer’s head of permitting Robert Wedmo said: “The direct connection of the solar farm to the national grid will significantly enhance energy production where it is most needed – in Sweden’s southern electricity area SE4.
“Solar power stands out as the fastest-growing energy production method.
“Ilmatar has now passed a one-gigawatt milestone in solar energy permit applications for Sweden – a significant addition to electricity production that can be built quickly.”
Country director for Ilmatar in Sweden Christian Gustafsson added: “In just two years in Sweden, Ilmatar has contributed to significant shifts in the Swedish renewable energy landscape.
“With over 6GW in our project pipeline, we are pioneering a novel approach to power generation, prioritising areas with minimal ecological impact.
“Next to none of our ongoing projects are planned on agricultural land. The focus is mainly on areas with low nature values, such as impediments and production forests.
“We are ready for substantial development, merely awaiting permits and grid connections.”
The Tönnersjö solar farm site predominantly comprises of production forests ready for harvesting.
Areas with high nature values have been excluded from the project plan.