Possible to Meet a Twofold Increase in Electricity Demand by 2035

The Swedish Wind Energy Association (SWEA) has released our statistics and forecast for the fourth quarter of 2022, showing that Swedish wind power is being expanded like never before and that orders for new wind power increased in the last quarter of 2022. However, the expansion will slow down after 2024. Sweden currently has all the prerequisites needed to meet a twofold increase in electricity demand by 2035, provided that Sweden maintains its good investment climate.

Don’t miss out on registering for the SWEA’s breakfast seminar „Why Isn’t Ireland’s Electricity System Breaking Down?“ where we will dive into the case of Irish electrical grid stability and variable energy production. The seminar is organised in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland on 9 March and registration to attend on site in Stockholm closes on 2 March. The seminar will also be broadcast via live stream. Click here for the programme and registration form.

Technology is advancing and Vestas, a member of SWEA, recently announced the discovery of a chemical process that makes all existing wind turbine blades recyclable. When the technology is mature, Vestas will be able to manufacture new wind turbine blades from recycled material. This not only offers a way to sustainably dispose of the existing wind turbine fleet, but also signals the possibility of the circularity of other products made from the same type of composites.

The recent political debate from both government and industry has highlighted the importance of the continued rapid expansion of wind power. SWEA welcomes the shift in the debate and urges the government to simplify the permitting processes for wind power. Electrification and the green transition are moving very fast, but we are certain that it is possible to build the electricity production needed to meet a twofold increase in electricity demand by 2035.

– Daniel Badman, CEO, Swedish Wind Energy Association

Report: Statistics and Forecast Q4 2022

The Swedish Wind Energy Association (SWEA) has presented its statistics and forecast for the fourth quarter. After two quarters without orders, we now see a slight uptick with 20 turbines totaling 116 megawatts (MW) ordered during the fourth quarter. For 2022, about 2000 MW were installed and in 2023 the same amount will be added. However, the recent high expansion level will slow down during and after 2024. Meanwhile, a total of 366 terawatt-hours (TWh) of wind power is in the permitting process. By 2035, electricity demand is expected to rise to 280 TWh according to a joint government report on the societal electrification, assuming electrification is implemented. If Sweden is to be able to achieve a sufficiently large expansion, we must continue to be an attractive country for investments.

Read the full SWEA report here

Calling on Simplified Permitting Processes
for Wind Power

„Electrification and the green transition are moving very fast, but we are certain that it is possible to build the electricity production needed to meet a twofold increase in electricity demand by 2035. So write representatives of the energy industry“ including Daniel Badman, CEO of the Swedish Wind Energy Association (SWEA).

Read the full opinion piece in Altinget Debatt (in Swedish)

Comment on EU Hydrogen Regulation in Place

The European Commission has adopted regulations for hydrogen and electro fuels, so-called RFNBO (renewable fuels of non-biological origin). The Swedish Wind Energy Association (SWEA) welcomes the regulations, which in the long term will enable wind power to contribute even more to a robust electricity system.

Read the full comment from SWEA (in Swedish) and learn more here

Calling on EU Energy Ministers: Ensure Good Investor Climate to Safeguard Climate Targets

On 27-28 February, the Swedish Energy Minister Ebba Busch will meet her ministerial colleagues for an informal ministerial meeting in Stockholm to discuss the future of energy in the EU. The Swedish Wind Energy Association (SWEA) believes that clear investment signals for renewable electricity production across the EU are crucial to avoid further imports of fossil fuels and to meet the EU’s 2030 and 2055 climate targets.

Read the full comment from SWEA (in Swedish) here

Donate to Türkiye Earthquake Relief Campaign

The Turkish Wind Energy Association (TWEA-TÜREB) have launched a fundraising campaign to support people affected by the recent earthquakes in Türkiye. They are working with a charitable organisation that is directly involved in the relief effort. TWEA-TÜREB are appealing to the international wind energy community to support the initiative.

Please find more details about the campaign here

Kick-off for Broad Research Project on the Green Transition and the Business Sector

The Swedish Wind Energy Association (SWEA) is involved in a new broad initiative on the green transition and the business sector, led by SNS. Major players from both government and industry are part of the reference group, such as Scania, the EIB, the Ministry of Finance, the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, the Association of Swedish Engineering Industries, and The Swedish Association of Industrial Employers.

Learn more about the research project here

Information Meeting on New Areas for Energy Production in the Maritime Plans 18 April

„What new areas could be identified for energy production in future marine plans? What are the next steps in the marine planning process? The Swedish Energy Agency and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management will talk about this at a digital information meeting for relevant industries and stakeholders.“

Register via the Swedish Energy Agency’s website by 14 April

Learn more here (in Swedish)

Swedish Minister for Energy, Business and Industry Ebba Busch – „We Need More Wind Power Everywhere“

 „She has been at the forefront of advocating for more nuclear power. As [Swedish] Minister of Energy, she must push for a massive expansion of wind power. „We need more everywhere,“ says Ebba Busch.“

Read the full article in Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish behind paywall)

CEO of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise: Must Speed up Construction of New Electricity

„Jan-Olof Jacke, CEO of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, welcomes the [Swedish] government’s announcement on more wind power, but calls for greater action: – There is still a huge amount of work to be done when it comes to shortening the permit review process. Sweden has a unique starting position for a profitable green transition, we must not squander this advantage.“

Read the full article in Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish)

The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Electricity Market Report 2023

„The report offers a deep analysis of recent policies, trends, and market developments.“
A few key points:

• Global electricity demand remained stable in 2022, despite the global energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Demand grew by almost 2% compared to the average growth rate of 2.4% over the period 2015-2019.
• Low-carbon production will cover almost all the growth in global electricity demand until 2025. The significant increase in renewables must be accompanied by faster investment in grids and flexibility to integrate them into the power system.
• Global electricity demand is expected to grow at a much faster rate of 3% per year over the period 2023-2025 compared to the growth rate in 2022, with total growth in global electricity demand of around 2,500 terawatt hours (TWh) by 2025.
• Electricity production-related CO2 emissions reached a record high in 2022. The proportion of renewable energy sources in the global electricity production mix is expected to increase from 29% in 2022 to 35% in 2025. As renewable energy sources increase, the proportion of coal and gas-fired production will decrease. As a result, emissions from global power production will level off by 2025 and its carbon intensity will decrease further in the coming years.
• In a world where both the demand and supply of electricity are increasingly weather-dependent, an increased focus on electricity security is required. Increasing the flexibility of power systems while ensuring security of supply and resilience will be crucial.

Executive summary – Electricity Market Report 2023 – IEA

Newly Discovered Chemical Process Renders All Existing Wind Turbine Blades Recyclable

Vestas, in collaboration with other actors, has discovered a chemical process that makes all existing wind turbine blades recyclable. The process enables the degradation of epoxy-based composites into raw materials. The technology is now being scaled up, which is expected to happen relatively quickly. When it is mature, Vestas will be able to produce new wind turbine blades from recycled material. Not only does this offer a way to sustainably dispose of the existing wind turbine fleet, but it also signals the possibility of circularity for other products made from epoxy-based composites.

Read the full article in offshoreWIND.biz here

Support for Wind Farms Soars in Ireland

Four out of five Irish people support wind farms, while opposition to wind power has dropped to just 5%, according to new research carried out for Wind Energy Ireland. 58% of Irish people say that they would support the development of a wind farm in their local area. 83% of respondents also say that offshore wind would contribute to Ireland’s energy security, indicating a growing positive attitude towards offshore wind.

“Irish wind farms have helped to protect consumers from the worst effects of an energy crisis driven by our dependency on imported fossil fuels…The best way out of this energy crisis is to accelerate the development of renewable energy, to ensure more of our power is provided here, at home, creating Irish jobs, supporting local communities, and helping to push down prices.”

– Noel Cunniffe, CEO, Wind Energy Ireland

Read the full article in renews.biz

Why Isn’t Ireland’s Electricity System Breaking Down?

Enterprise Ireland and the Swedish Wind Energy Association (SWEA) are hosting a breakfast seminar on the case of Irish electrical grid stability and variable energy production on Thursday 9 March on site in Stockholm. The seminar will also be broadcast via live stream.

Register by 2 March to participate on site in Stockholm

WindEurope Annual Event 2023 Copenhagen 25-27 April

„With over 50 sessions and more than 250 speakers across three days, we will cover a lot of ground. From supply chains to permitting, grids and sustainability, finance and resource assessment, this year’s conference is packed full of content on every aspect of wind energy today – with input from across the sector, policy, NGOs and elsewhere.“

Members of the Swedish Wind Energy Association (SWEA) receive a 20% discount on their tickets. Request the discount code from Aleksandra Todorov.

Read more about the conference here

Free WindEurope Webinars – A Look Back at 2022

WindEurope will be hosting a series of free webinars in March and April, covering the latest market intelligence reports for 2022.

• Wind Energy in Europe: 2022 Statistics and the Outlook for 2023-2027
  7 March 2023, 15:00-16:00 CET
• Offshore Wind in Europe 2022: Trends and Statistics
  16 March 2023, 15:00-16:00 CET
• Wind Energy Financing and Investment Trends 2022
  5 April 2023, 15:00-16:00 CEST

Follow the corresponding links above to register for the webinars.

PR: Swedish Wind Energy Association (SWEA)

PB: SWEA