Land and Environment Court in Växjö, Sweden has issued a positive opinion regarding the Blekinge Offshore AB’s application for a permit to construct and operate the Blekinge offshore wind farm in Hanöbukten.
Construction of larger wind farms requires good connectivity to the grid, and for this project the right place is in Karlshamn, Blekinge. The area off Karlshamn fulfils two other conditions for harnessing wind power − good winds and distance from the local residents.
Blekinge Offshore has started to exploit these favorable conditions and is now working to construct a wind farm in Hanöbukten, which may be among the largest in the world.
Karlshamn holds the potential of connecting at least 2500 MW of wind power to the grid. This corresponds to 500 turbines of 5 MW each, or more than 800 of 3 MW each. When the project is fully developed, it is expected to produce 7-8 TWh of electricity annually.
In order to establish a wind farm of this size, an area of about 200 km2 is required. This area is situated about 5 kilometers east of Hanö. In this area, the water depth is about 10-40 meters and the existing electricity infrastructure onshore is about 15 kilometers away from the location in question.
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Offshore WIND Staff, February 19, 2013; Image: blekingeoffshore