Sweden

Introduction

In 2025, Sweden added 1.3 GW of new wind power capacity, raising its total installed capacity to 18.1 GW and reinforcing the sector's continued growth.

The Swedish Energy Agency remained the main public funder of wind energy RD&D. Key activities in 2025 included research on wind power integration in a fossil-free energy system, offshore wind development, environmental impacts, and solutions for grid flexibility and energy storage. Projects focused on digitalization, advanced monitoring, and improved operation and maintenance of wind farms. These efforts support Sweden's energy and climate goals while strengthening innovation and competitiveness in the wind energy sector.

Market Development

Targets and Policy

Sweden's energy policy is based on three core objectives: security of supply, competitiveness, and environmental sustainability. The policy aims to ensure efficient energy use, a cost-effective energy system with minimal impacts on health, the environment, and the climate, while supporting the transition to a sustainable society.

The national energy targets are:

• By 2030: Improve energy efficiency use by 50% compared to 2005, measured as energy supplied in relation to GDP.
• By 2040: Achieve 100% fossil-free electricity generation.
• By 2045: Reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, followed by negative emissions thereafter.

These targets, combined with Sweden's strong wind resources, are driving continued growth in the wind energy sector.

To support renewable electricity generation, Sweden and Norway established a technology-neutral, market-based electricity certificate system. Since 2012, the two countries have operated a common certificate market aimed at increasing renewable electricity production in a cost-effective manner. The joint target was to increase renewable electricity generation by 28.4 TWh by 2020, while Sweden subsequently committed to an additional 18 TWh by 2030, bringing the total target to 46.4 TWh. Both targets were achieved ahead of schedule, with the overall target reached in March 2021.

As of 2025, the electricity certificate system remains in operation for eligible facilities commissioned no later than 31 December 2021. However, no new production facilities can enter the system, as Sweden introduced a stop rule for installations commissioned after that date. The system is currently scheduled to be phased out by 2035, while existing eligible facilities may continue to receive certificates in accordance with the applicable rules.

Progress and Operational Details

In 2025, Sweden added 173 new wind turbines, increasing installed wind power capacity by 1.3 GW to a total of 18.1 GW. Despite continued expansion, electricity generation decreased from 40.4 TWh to 38.4 TWh due to weaker wind conditions [1].

Matters Affecting Growth and Work to Remove Barriers

The permitting process for wind power projects in Sweden remains lengthy, and its outcome is often perceived as unpredictable, particularly because municipalities retain the right to reject projects through the municipal veto mechanism [2].

Throughout 2025, the Swedish Government continued its efforts to facilitate the energy transition by introducing measures to improve the efficiency, transparency, and predictability of permitting procedures, strengthen and expand the electricity grid, and enable the development of offshore wind power [3].

The Government also advanced policies to enhance power system flexibility, accelerate the electrification of industry and transport, and increase fossil-free electricity generation. These measures aim to strengthen energy security, support industrial competitiveness, and promote sustainable long-term economic growth.

RD&D Activities

National RD&D Priorities and Budget

Future Power System [4] (2022-2029) is a research program financed by the Swedish Energy Agency with a total budget of USD 117 million. The program gathers R&D within wind power, hydropower, smart grid, solar power, and ocean energy.

The program supports the transition to a sustainable energy system by facilitating the electrification of other sectors and at the same time work for an electric power system characterized by security of supply, competitiveness, and ecological and social sustainability.

Swedish Wind Centre [5] (2023-on going) is a research hub that conducts research in five research themes about wind power in Nordic conditions:

• Planning of wind power
• Siting
• Turbine
• Operation and Maintenance
• Electrical System Integration

National Research Initiatives and Results

Offshore Wind and Marine Coexistence
Research focused on improving knowledge of the interactions between offshore wind farms, marine ecosystems and other sea users. The results support sustainable offshore wind deployment through better-informed marine spatial planning and permitting processes [6].

Vindval Programme Synthesis
Sweden completed the Vindval research programme in 2025, providing a comprehensive synthesis of two decades of research on the environmental and societal impacts of wind energy. The results offer an important scientific foundation for future policy and project development [7].

Wind Energy System Integration
Research addressed the integration of wind power into an increasingly electrified energy system, including grid development, flexibility, energy storage and hydrogen. The findings contribute to long-term planning for a reliable and cost-efficient energy transition [8].

Collaborative Research

During 2025, Sweden participated in several IEA Wind Tasks:

• Task 11 Base Technology Information Exchange
• Task 25/63 Twenty Fifty Integration of Variable Energy
• Task 42 Wind Turbine Lifetime Extension
• Task 43 Wind Energy Digitalization
• Task 45 Recycling wind turbine blades
• Task 47 TURBINIA TURBulent INflow Innovative Aerodynamics
• Task 51 Forecasting for the weather driven Energy System
• Task 53 Wind Energy Economics
• Task 54 Cold Climate Wind Power
• Task 57 Joint Assessment of Models (JAM)
• Task 60 CYCLEWIND – Harmonised Life Cycle Assessment for Wind Power

These activities support Swedish priorities in areas such as wind resource assessment, cold climate operation, environmental impacts, social acceptance, and the integration of large shares of wind power into the electricity system. Results from the Tasks are utilized in national research programmes, including the Swedish Wind Centre and Future Power Systems.

Overall, Sweden's participation in IEA Wind helps ensure that Swedish researchers, authorities, and industry remain at the forefront of international developments, research findings, and best practices in wind energy.

Impact of Wind Energy

Environmental Impact

The Swedish energy policy aims for social, economic, and ecological long-term sustainability of the energy system while maintaining security of supply. This can be achieved with an active energy policy, incentives, and research funding. Currently, CO₂ emissions from electricity production are relatively low, because hydropower, nuclear, bioenergy, and wind energy are the main contributors to the energy system.

Sweden has set the goal to be carbon neutral by 2045. Achieving this goal will require extensive electrification of industry and transport, significantly increasing electricity demand. With its strong wind resources, wind power is expected to play a central role in future electricity generation.

Economic Benefits and Industry Development

Wind power continued to play an important role in supporting economic growth and industrial development in Sweden. Although new investment decisions slowed during 2025, projects already under construction contributed to employment, regional development, and value creation throughout the wind energy value chain. At the same time, the sector remained a key enabler of industrial electrification and future fossil-free electricity supply. Examples include large-scale industrial transition projects in the steel, mining and manufacturing sectors, which depend on increased access to competitive fossil-free electricity. Wind power also continued to support regional development, particularly in northern Sweden, where growing electricity demand is driven by new industrial investments and electrification initiatives.

Next Term

Several factors influence wind development: slow and complex permitting processes, financial challenges such as high interest rates and material costs, and political uncertainty regarding energy policy. Additionally, municipal and military vetoes can block projects even after years of planning. Addressing these issues will be crucial for Sweden to fully leverage wind power in its energy transition.

Swedish wind energy research and innovation programmes, including Future Power Systems (Framtidens elsystem) and the Swedish Wind Centre (SWC), continue to address critical challenges and opportunities associated with large-scale wind power deployment, power system integration, system flexibility, offshore wind development, and the transition to a fossil-free energy system.

References

1. Swedish Energy Agency (2026), Vindkraftsstatistik
2. Green Power Sweden (2026), Municipal Veto and Permit Statistics 2025, Kommuner har stoppat 90 procent av vindkraftsprojekten under 2025 - Green Power Sweden
3. Government Offices of Sweden (2026), New initiatives to shorten permitting processes and facilitate energy infrastructure investments, Åtgärder för elsystemet och energiplanering - Regeringen.se
4. Swedish Energy Agency, Framtiden Elsystem, Framtidens elsystem
5. Swedish Wind Center (2026), A hub for research about wind power, Welcome | Swedish Wind Centre.
6. Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (2025). Plans for Increased Offshore Wind Power, https://www.havochvatten.se
7. Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (2025). Vindval Research Programme, https://www.naturvardsverket.se
8. Swedish Energy Agency (2025). Wind Power, https://www.energimyndigheten.se