OX2 and Ingka Investments have signed a cooperation agreement with Ellevio and submitted applications for the connection of the 400MW Galene offshore wind farm in Sweden.
The cooperation agreement aims to take advantage of OX2’s experience in project development and construction of wind power and Ellevio’s knowledge as electricity grid owner in both project phase and operation and management.
The collaboration also strives to benefit the power system as a whole from a system perspective, OX2 said.
The electricity connection of the wind farm also requires a permit and OX2 has submitted three applications: an application to the Energy Market Inspectorate for a grid concession, an application to the Ministry of Economy for the laying of submarine cables on the seabed, and a permit according to the Environmental Code.
The application enables the laying of up to five electric cables from the wind farm to the land reclamation site north of Ringhals on the Väröhalvön, where the cables continue to a transformer station that Ellevio is building.
The electricity cables on land and in the sea will be buried to minimize the impact on environmental values and the landscape.
OX2 and Ellevio have collaborated on regional grid connections of OX2’s onshore wind farms for more than 15 years and connected more than 1100MW of OX2’s onshore wind farms in Sweden.
Hillevi Priscar, Sweden manager at OX2 said: “We look forward to realizing Galene, which will provide a welcome addition of renewable energy in the region.
“In order for us as an industry to succeed in the energy transition, we need cooperation with solution- and business-focused partners in the electricity grid sector such as Ellevio, who have both the will and knowledge to meet the need for electricity grid solutions.”
Johan Lindehag, chief executive of Ellevio, added: “All fossil-free electricity production is needed to cope with climate change, accelerating electricity demand and stable electricity prices.
“Offshore wind power still only makes up a small part of Swedish electricity production, but the interest is huge.
“Ellevio and OX2 will now investigate concrete and cost-effective solutions for connecting offshore wind to the grid, to the benefit of the electricity system and electricity customers.”
OX2 plans to start construction work in 2026 to enable the wind farm to be operational in 2028 or 2029.
OX2 is developing six offshore wind farms in Sweden together with Ingka Investments:
Galene on the west coast, Triton and Neptunus in southern Sweden, Aurora between Öland and Gotland and Pleione and Ran off Gotland’s east coast.
The final decision on permission to build the wind farms Triton and Aurora rests with the government.