Wind Energy in Sweden
2022 wind energy numbers
In 2022, Sweden installed 2,163 MW of new wind energy capacity, leading to a 20% increase in windgenerated electricity compared to 2021. By the end of the year, the country’s total installed capacity was 14,279 MW from 5,164 wind turbines.
Through the EU Burden-Sharing agreement, Sweden has set a goal to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by the year 2030 compared to levels in 2005. On a national level, Sweden aims to reduce their net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2045 and thereafter achieve a net zero emissions rate. To achieve this, emissions from activities in Swedish territory must be at least 85% lower than the emissions rate in 1990. A subsequent national goal is to reach 100% renewable electricity production by 2040.
To learn more about wind energy in Sweden, please review their chapter in the IEA Wind TCP 2022 Annual Report.
National Targets
In 2016, the Swedish government, the Moderate Party, the Centre Party, and the Christian Democrats reached an agreement on Sweden’s long-term energy policy. However, in 2020 the Moderate party and Christian Democrats left the agreement. Despite this, the goals were ratified by the parliament and are therefore still valid. They consist of a common roadmap for a controlled transition to an entirely renewable electric power system with the following targets:
• By 2030, Sweden’s energy will be 50% more efficient than in 2005. The target is expressed in terms of energy relative to GDP.
• By 2040, Sweden aims to achieve 100% renewable electricity production. This target is not a deadline for banning nuclear power, nor does it mean closing nuclear power plants through political decisions.
Progress & Operational Details
In 2022, 410 turbines were commissioned with an average nominal capacity of 5 MW. All of them were onshore [1]. A clear trend is an increase in the size of turbines, as shown in the figures 1 and 2 below. Based on available data from the 410 turbines, the rotor diameter of turbines installed during 2022 were on average 148m, with a nominal power of 5 MW [2].
National RDD Priorities and Budget
Vindval [3] is a research programme focused on studying the environmental effects of wind power. The research extends over a period between 2018-2023, with its last call in 2021. The programme is financed by the Swedish Energy Agency and administrated by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. The agency has allocated a total of 20 million SEK (1.6 million EUR; 1.8 million USD) for the implementation of the 4 IEA WIND TCP SWEDEN 2022 new phase of Vindval which focuses on wind power and spatial planning.