Sweden has canceled thirteen planned offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea for safety reasons.
The government in Stockholm, a new NATO member, announced on Monday that it would no longer issue permits for the construction and operation of the farms, which would stretch from Sweden’s east coast to the Sound near Denmark.
The Swedish armed forces said the offshore wind turbines would disrupt sensors and radar, among other things, affecting the country’s defense capabilities.
For example, enemy cruise missiles or submarines may be detected later or less easily, Defense Minister Pål Jonson warned at a press conference.
He referred to the tense security situation after the Russian war in Ukraine and the fact that the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, like Sweden, is located on the Baltic Sea.
One wind farm on Sweden’s west coast has been given the green light, while ten other applications to expand offshore wind energy are currently being assessed by Stockholm.
