The Swedish government has granted permits to two new offshore wind parks, Fyrskeppet Offshore and Vidar, while simultaneously rejecting eleven other pending applications, citing unacceptable impacts on national defence capability.

Two New Parks Approved

The decisions, announced on 16 July 2026 by the Climate and Business Affairs Department, bring to five the total number of offshore wind farms granted permits during the current government term. The three previously approved projects were Kattegatt Syd, Galene, both located in Kattegatt, and Poseidon in southern Skagerrak.

Fyrskeppet Offshore will be constructed approximately 54 kilometres east of Söderhamn in the southern Gulf of Bothnia. The park will consist of up to 93 wind turbines and is expected to deliver between 8 and 11 terawatt hours of electricity per year.

Vidar will be built approximately 35 kilometres southwest of Strömstad in the northern Skagerrak and will comprise up to 75 wind turbines, with an expected annual generation capacity of up to 7.8 terawatt hours.

Under the terms of the permits, both parks must be completed within ten years, meaning construction must be finalised no later than 2036. Before building can commence, additional permits will be required to lay underwater cables connecting the parks to the mainland transmission grid for electricity distribution.

Climate Minister Cites Industrial Investment Imperative

Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari welcomed the decisions, framing them within the government's broader energy strategy. Sweden needs all fossil-free energy sources so that new industries and companies dare to make the investment decisions that secure the climate transition, strengthen competitiveness and build the country's future prosperity, Pourmokhtari said in a statement accompanying the announcement.

The approvals form part of Sweden's wider push to expand renewable electricity generation as the country seeks to electrify its industrial base and attract energy-intensive investment.

Eleven Applications Rejected Over Defence Concerns

Alongside the two approvals, the government issued rejections for eleven other offshore wind applications that had been under consideration within Sweden's exclusive economic zone.

The rejected projects are Bothnia Offshore Lambda North, Bothnia Offshore Sigma, Eystrasalt Offshore, Gretas Klackar 1, Gävle Öst Havsvindpark, Mareld, Najaderna, Olof Skötkonung, Polargrund Offshore, Sylen, and Västvind.

The government stated that the activities applied for under these projects would entail an unacceptable impact on Sweden's defence capability. The rejection decisions do not, however, permanently exclude the affected sea areas from future development.

The government noted that the areas in question could become relevant again following the transition to an auction system for offshore wind power, a process that is already under consideration.

Broader Regulatory Context

The announcement completes the government's review of all permit applications that had been under preparation within Sweden's exclusive economic zone, marking a definitive conclusion to the current licensing round.

The shift to an auction-based model for offshore wind, referenced in the rejection notices, is expected to reshape how future development rights are allocated across Swedish waters.

The government has previously published an inquiry proposing an auction system for offshore wind, and the latest rejections explicitly anticipate that framework as the pathway through which previously denied sea areas could re-enter the development pipeline. No timeline was given for when that auction system would take effect or when affected areas might be reconsidered under it.

Infrastructure Requirements Remain

Despite the approvals for Fyrskeppet Offshore and Vidar, the path to construction involves further regulatory steps. Permits to lay the submarine cables necessary to connect both parks to the national grid must be obtained separately before any physical development can begin. The government did not indicate how long that process is expected to take or which authorities would oversee those additional permit decisions.

The combined potential output of the two newly approved parks, between approximately 15.8 and 18.8 terawatt hours annually at the upper end of projections, represents a substantial addition to Sweden's offshore generation if both parks are built to their maximum permitted capacity and perform as expected.

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