The Swedish government is intending to task the country’s transmission system operator Svenska Kraftnat to expand the grid network to areas within Sweden’s waters to support the development of offshore wind farms.
The government plans to amend Svenska Kraftnat’s instruction so that the TSO is designated with the job of expanding the transmission network to maritime areas where there are conditions for connecting several projects and where such an expansion promotes Sweden’s goals for renewable electricity production.
Svenska Kraftnat will also begin preparatory work prior to the expansion of the grid at sea.
The amendment to Svenska Kraftnat’s instructions on network expansion will come into force on the 1 January next year, the government said.
Under the terms of the amendment, the TSO shall provide information on whether there is a need to develop new guidelines and instructions for offshore wind developers.
Svenska Kraftnat will also, where possible, describe and clarify conditions for developers regarding, for example, schedules and geographical areas for the expansion of transmission networks.
It will also clarify the conditions for projects that have already submitted grid link applications for connection.
The TSO is tasked with reporting its findings to government by 15 June 2022.
Minister of the Environment and Climate Per Bolund (pictured) said: “We have a rapid expansion of renewable electricity in Sweden and to meet the climate challenges, we need to accelerate the expansion further.
“Offshore wind power has an enormous potential to produce Swedish renewable electricity that replaces coal and oil around Europe.”