County Administrative Board positive toward parts of Eolus’s offshore project Västvind

The County Administrative Board has recommended that the government grant a permit for part of the offshore wind farm Västvind, located in the sea outside Gothenburg. The County Administrative Board is handling the part of the project that is located the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

“It is very positive that the County Administrative Board clearly points to the need for increased electricity production in Western Sweden as a decisive reason for granting a permit for the wind farm. If the government wants to safeguard Western Sweden’s development in terms of jobs, competitiveness, and the future of industry, it has every opportunity to grant a permit for Västvind,” says Per Witalisson, CEO of Eolus.

In parallel, the Land and Environment Court is processing the application for the part of the wind farm located within Swedish territorial waters. Ultimately, it is the government that will make the final decision on whether Västvind may be built.

In its decision, the County Administrative Board excludes a significant portion of the project area in the EEZ due to safety distances required for shipping. However, the decision also states that there may be opportunities to approve a larger area if changes are made to shipping regulations. The County Administrative Board emphasizes that it is not the authority responsible for that issue.

“We now assume that both authorities and policymakers will take this forward to find constructive solutions for coexistence between electricity generation and shipping. We believe it is up to the government to set requirements for both the shipping sector and other stakeholders to cooperate in order to enable coexistence,” says Ylva Sörqvist Hultgren, Eolus project manager for Västvind.

Approximately half of the energy used in Western Sweden comes from fossil fuels.

“We share the County Administrative Board’s view that Västvind is crucial for Gothenburg and Western Sweden in many ways. Industry will significantly increase its electricity consumption over the coming decade, and no other electricity production is being built in Western Sweden that can meet that demand,” notes Ylva Sörqvist Hultgren.

In uncertain times, energy security and decentralized electricity production is even more important. Göteborg Energi is investigating the possibilities of connecting Västvind to the local electricity grid in Gothenburg. A study is also underway at RISE to assess how, and to what extent, Västvind could strengthen the local energy system.

“At Eolus, we believe that a substantial flow of electricity from Västvind into Gothenburg would significantly reduce vulnerability in the event of crisis or war,” concludes Ylva Sörqvist Hultgren.

For further information, please contact:
Per Witalisson, CEO, +46 702 65 16 15, per.witalisson@eolus.com

Karin Wittsell Heydl, Chief Communications & Sustainability Officer, +46 761 16 71 99, karin.heydl@eolus.com