700-MW Wind Farm Planned in Baltic Sea

Eon Nordic is planning a gigantic 700-MW wind farm in the Baltic Sea off of Sweden’s southeastern shores, it was just announced. The Nordic wind farm, located in Södra Midsjöbanken, will be one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world.

The 700-MW wind farm will include 180-230 wind turbines. Eon Nordic is investing about €2.2 billion ($2.79 billion). The project was unveiled by Swedish journal Dagens Industri, but the German mother company (Eon) does not wish to speak on the project yet “because so many parameters have yet to be clarified.”

Sweden currently has 6 wind farms, and 5 of those are being operated by Vattenfall. But these are much closer to the shore and quite small compared to the Södra Midsjöbanken wind project. The largest of the projects is one by Siemens that has a total power capacity of 110 MW. It has been online since 2008.

In addition to those 6 wind farms, Sweden has over 1 GW of offshore wind power capacity has already been permitted in the country (this project has not, of course).

A lot of work has already gone into this new wind project. “By the end of last year, the company had collected data on wind velocity, direction, and wave heights at a measuring station financed partly by the Swedish government,” Renewables International reports. “At the same time, the firm has also already contracted an environmental impact assessment. At the end of 2011, the firm reportedly also filed for a permit with Swedish authorities.”

Offshore wind has advantages and disadvantages, of course. Winds are steadier and stronger off the coast. However, building wind turbines there is quite expensive at the moment.

Swedish flag via shutterstock