Wind Power News: Sweden
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Wind power stations meet resistance
The gradual expansion of wind power is seen as vital for future energy supply. But it also meets resistance. According to the state-owned power giant Vattenfall, wind turbines being built in the forest must be even higher than today in order to become profitable. ”But it would be a disaster for those living nearby,” says Elisabeth von Brömsen, who is chairman of the Confederation of Swedish landscape protection. “It’s unacceptable already as it is now, and if we will have . . .
Investigative journalist to be EPAW’s spokesman in Scandinavia
[Wind Watch is a little late in posting this announcement, and do so now along with several pieces by Peter Skeel Hjorth in the Resource Library.] Our organisation, which regroups 358 member-associations, federations and other groups from 19 European countries, has the pleasure of announcing the nomination of Peter Skeel Hjorth as its spokesman for Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway and Sweden) plus Finland and the Baltic countries (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia). He will represent EPAW in these countries, sending or relaying . . .
IKEA building its own personal wind farm
The IKEA Group will soon have its own wind farm in Dalarna County, Sweden. The Swedish furniture retail giant announced today it’s partnered with Stockholm-based O2 to oversee the construction and maintenance of a nine-turbine wind farm slated to be completed in 2012. At full capacity the wind farm is expected to generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 17 IKEA stores in Sweden. Owning a wind farm in Sweden will enable IKEA to further its ultimate goal of . . .
Scrap wind power veto: environment minister
Swedish Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren has announced that he wants to remove the municipal vetoes against wind power farms that are currently in place. He believes that in certain cases, the national interest in renewable energy must take precedence over the autonomy of local governments, citing security issues. “Here, we must change so that local authorities are not just listening to opinions and saying no without even trying to resolve conflicts. If it does not work, it may be necessary . . .
Wind power and reindeers struggle to coexist
During 2010 Sweden produced one third more wind power than the year before, according to new figures from the Scandinavian country’s energy authorities. A total of 289 new turbines helped produce 2,000 megawatts, Swedish Radio said. Most of the turbines are located in Skåne, a southern Swedish province. However, more and more Skåne residents protest against wind power and say that the turbines are spinning too close to their homes. And in the most northern parts of the country reindeer . . .
Sweden’s reindeer and wind power industries trying to coexist
Wind power is viewed as one of the hottest alternative energy sources in the wake of changes to the climate. But wind power requires large areas of land and this is seen as a considerable threat to the reindeer industry in Scandinavia. The Sámi National Association in Sweden and the wind power industry are conducting a joint project to determine how the two industries can coexist. Recent research regarding the effects of wind power on the reindeer industry was the . . .
Swedish court picks wind over reindeer herders
SWEDEN: A Swedish environmental court has given the all-clear in a landmark decision for the construction of 30 wind turbines on a mountain in northern Sweden, despite protests from local reindeer herders who claim the development encroaches on traditional grazing areas. To continue reading this article you need to be a subscriber to Windpower Monthly
Bleak future for wind power generators in Sweden
Swedish P1 Radio had a broadcast this morning where wind turbine owners in southern Sweden were interviewed. Wind turbines in Southern Sweden operate at an average capacity of about 25% but when the wind blows in in Sweden it usually blows in Denmark as well. As Denmark builds more subsidised but intermittent wind turbines they become more dependant upon the import of hydro and nuclear power from Sweden and Norway. It could be a dark future for wind power, at . . .
Eagles tracked in wind farm project
A new unique project in northern Sweden involves trapping adult Golden Eagles and fitting them with satellite transmitters in an attempt to see whether large-scale wind farms may have a negative effect them. Scientists at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) are fitting satellite transmitters which emit a signal once an hour during the daytime enabling scientists to form a picture of how the birds use the landscape. So far transmitters have been fitted on to six eagles and . . .
Tracking golden eagles by satellite; Impact of large-scale wind farms studied
Large-scale wind farm establishment may have a negative effect on Sweden’s golden eagles. In a unique project in northern Sweden, scientists at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) are trapping adult golden eagles and fitting them with satellite transmitters. The satellite transmitters emit a signal once an hour during the daytime. These signals provide the scientists with a picture of how the birds use the landscape. “Hopefully we can identify the golden eagles’ favourite habitats. When we’ve done that . . .
