EUROPE: Sweden canceled 13 wind farm projects in the Baltic Sea for security reasons
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Sweden has canceled 13 wind farm projects along its coastal area in the Baltic Sea because of their impact on the country’s defense capabilities, Swedish Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari announced on Monday, AFP reports, Agerpres reports.
Construction permits for these offshore wind farms were withdrawn because “they would have had an unacceptable impact” on the country’s defense capabilities, Pourmokhtari explained in a press conference.
This decision comes after the publication of a study carried out by the armed forces, which was made public on Friday by the SVT television station. The study shows that these projects could significantly disrupt Swedish defense sensors in the Baltic Sea.
Wind turbines and propellers emit radar signals and produce many other interferences, especially underwater, affecting the detection capabilities of potential submarines.
Considering “the serious security situation that Sweden is currently facing, the interests of defense must weigh more in the balance”, emphasized the Minister of Defense, Pal Jonson, during the press conference.
If built, the 13 offshore wind farms would have halved the time to detect a missile attack from two minutes to one minute, he explained.
The minister added that the relative proximity of the “highly militarized” Russian enclave of Kaliningrad was “a central element” in the Swedish government’s decision.
Tensions in the region increased after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. A new NATO military base was opened in Rostock, in northern Germany, with the aim of coordinating the forces of member states in the area against Russia.
At the same time, the energy needs from renewable sources of these countries are among the priorities.
Electricity consumption in Sweden could reach at least 300 TWh by 2045, double the current level, according to a study consulted by AFP.
