The Swedish government is establishing an inquiry to look into how offshore wind farm permitting can be streamlined.
Minister of Climate and Environment Romina Pourmokhtari (pictured) told a press conference that the government is appointing an inquiry that will look at how the processes for permit applications for the establishment of offshore wind power can be streamlined.
“We need a faster process, the inquiry will analyse the conditions for this,” said Pourmokhtari.
The terms of reference for the inquiry will be decided at the government meeting on Thursday 4 May.
The inquiry will be given the overall task of analysing how the regulatory framework for the use of offshore areas in the establishment of wind power can be improved and reviewing permit applications for wind farms in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone can be made more efficient and modern.
The aim is to achieve a review regime that provides the conditions for an increased expansion of offshore wind power, while taking into account other societal interests and reducing the burden on the environment.
The results of the inquiry will be reported by 28 June 2024.
In 2022, the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management presented the assignment on exclusivity for the construction of offshore wind farms, given that it is not possible to obtain exclusive rights to an area in the sea and that there are no rules for determining who should be given priority when several players apply for the same site.
Both the wind power industry and authorities and courts have highlighted that this is a problem and the inquiry will investigate these issues.