Statkraft applies for permit for 2.1-GW offshore windfarm outside Stockholm 

The Delta North windfarm is located in Sweden’s economic zone, approximately 100 km east of Stockholm and 55 km east of Sandhamn island. 

The company noted that the windfarm could provide approximately 8 TWh of electricity from Delta North, which corresponds to 40 % of current electricity consumption in Stockholm County. 

“Delta North would cater to the increasing electricity demand of the transport sector and the need to transition to a low-carbon industry to meet current climate targets,” said Statkraft. “The windfarm would also address the imbalance of the Stockholm region, which only produces about a tenth of the electricity it consumes.”

The proposed windfarm includes up to 105 bottom-fixed wind turbines in an area far out at sea to ensure low to no visibility from land. Delta North will not be visible from the mainland and the inner archipelago – where the vast majority of Stockholm County’s population lives – and will have little visibility from certain places in the middle archipelago. There may be some visibility from the outermost islands of the outer archipelago.

The windfarm is located in an area that has been identified by the Swedish authorities as suitable for offshore wind, as per the proposed revision of the country’s Marine Spatial Plans. The area is seen as less likely to have any conflict with other users of the ocean thus enabling coexistence. 

Statkraft noted that, with water depths ranging from 40 m to 80 m, the area is the only suitable location for bottom-fixed offshore wind at scale in the vicinity of Stockholm. 

Depending on the final landfall and grid connection location, the windfarm could be connected to hydrogen or e-fuel technologies which would provide grid stability by addressing any issues of intermittent power production.

Statkraft senior vice president Sweden Jakob Norström said, “There are three aspects that make the proposed Delta North windfarm unique. 

“Firstly, it would lead to a vast increase in the electricity production in the Stockholm region to meet the high energy demand from consumers and industry alike. Secondly, the project has been developed to be of as little interference as possible to Stockholm’s famed archipelago, and we remain confident that the project has low to no visibility from land. 

“Thirdly, the windfarm benefits from the more cost effective and mature technology of bottom-fixed turbine foundations. Neither of these are unique by themselves, but the combination of all three in one project is.”

Statkraft senior vice president offshore wind David Flood said, “Progressing our Swedish offshore wind portfolio in a market where Statkraft has a strong market presence is an important part in realising out ambition to develop 6-8 GW of offshore wind by 2040. 

“Building on our Beta offshore windfarm application last year, the Delta application is one of more to come as we seek to position Sweden as a key offshore wind market in Northern Europe.”

Statkraft submitted an application to build and operate the Delta North offshore wind farm to the Ministry of Climate and Economic Affairs as per the law governing Sweden’s economic zone. After submission, the government will evaluate Statkraft’s application and seek input from consultation with several agencies before making a decision.