Sweden’s wind power sector is blowing away expectations. With total installed capacity reaching 12.8 GW and recently surpassing the 10 GW milestone in 2021, Swedish wind isn’t just a breeze anymore—it’s a gale force phenomenon. The newly announced 189 MW Fageråsen Farm project comes at a perfect time, as the nation’s wind capacity approaches 19 GW by year’s end. Talk about perfect timing.
The numbers don’t lie. Wind generation hit a staggering 40.8 TWh in 2024, actually outperforming both nuclear and hydro power in December. Who saw that coming? With an average capacity factor of 27.8%, these turbines aren’t just for show. They’re workhorses. And they’re hungry for more.
Records keep falling like dominoes. The 2021 pandemic didn’t stop a record 2.0 GW addition, with growth peaking at 2.7 GW that year.
Sure, 2024’s additions slowed to 1,015 MW, but that’s still nothing to sneeze at. The trend continues upward, with total capacity projected to hit 19,515 MW by the end of 2026. Despite occasional concerns about bird strikes, this aggressive expansion is essential for Sweden to meet its net-zero carbon economy goal by 2045. Math doesn’t lie.
Markbygden Vind AB remains the poster child of Swedish wind ambition, totaling 4,061 MW across multiple phases. That’s enough juice for 400,000 households. Phase 1 alone combines Erstrask, Skogberget, and Markbygden 1 for nearly 1,000 MW. Not too shabby.
Challenges exist, obviously. Municipal vetoes have killed projects like Långgrund, costing a potential 12.5 TWh. Permit shortages in SE3 and SE4 regions aren’t helping either. The concerning zero investment decisions recorded in Q2 2024 signals growing caution among companies in the Swedish market.
Still, the future looks, well, windy.
Offshore development is where the real action’s heading. With 98 GW in various stages of development—including 2 GW already permitted—Sweden’s betting big on sea breezes. Three zones across the Gulf of Bothnia, Baltic Sea, and North Sea could deliver 30 TWh annually.
By 2027, forecasts put total capacity at 19,255 MW.
The Swedish wind revolution isn’t slowing down. It’s just getting started.
References
- https://www.airswift.com/blog/wind-energy-projects-sweden
- https://iea-wind.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/IEA_Wind_TCP_AR2021_Sweden.pdf
- https://balticwind.eu/wind-power-expansion-continues-but-no-new-investment-decisions-in-second-quarter/
- https://svenskvindenergi.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2021-Q4-statistics-and-forecast-wind-power-sweden_FINAL-2.pdf
- https://swedishwindenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Statistics-and-Forecast-Q3-2024-1.pdf
- https://greenpowersweden.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/SWEA-Statstics-and-Forecast-Q4-2024-1.pdf
- https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/sweden-renewable-energy-market
- https://swedishwindenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Statistics-and-forecast-wind-power-Sweden-Q1_FINAL.pdf
- https://www.datainsightsmarket.com/reports/sweden-renewable-energy-industry-2712
