Priority to defense… Sweden has canceled 13 wind farm projects along its coasts in the Baltic Sea because of their impact on its defense capabilities, the Swedish Minister of the Environment announced this Monday.
Construction permits for these offshore wind farms were withdrawn because “they would have had an unacceptable impact” on the defense of this Scandinavian country, Romina Pourmokhtari explained at a press conference. This decision comes after the publication of a study carried out by the armed forces and made public by the public television channel SVT last Friday, showing that these projects could significantly disrupt Swedish defense sensors in the Baltic.
Twice as long to spot an attack
Wind turbine towers and rotating blades emit radar echoes and produce a number of other interferences, particularly underwater. In view of “the serious security situation that Sweden is currently experiencing, defense interests must weigh more heavily in the balance”, underlined Defense Minister Pål Jonson during the press conference.
The minister added that the relative proximity of the “highly militarized” Russian enclave of Kaliningrad had been “a central element” in the decision taken by the Swedish government.
Increased tensions since the invasion of Ukraine
Tensions in the region have increased since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. A new NATO military base has been opened in Rostock, northern Germany, with the aim of coordinating state forces members of the Alliance in the area facing Russia.
At the same time, energy needs from renewable sources are among the priorities. Electricity consumption in Sweden could reach at least 300 TWh by 2045, double the current level, according to a memorandum consulted by AFP.
