Ilmatar Achieves 1GW Milestone In Solar Energy Permit Applications In Sweden

The 450-megawatt Tönnersjö solar farm is the latest project in southwest Sweden.

Following a thorough consultation process, Nordic energy company Ilmatar announces the submission of an environmental permit application for the Tönnersjö solar farm, spanning 450 hectares in the County of Halland, southwestern Sweden.

Solar power stands out as the fastest-growing energy production method. Ilmatar has now passed a one-gigawatt milestone in solar energy permit applications for Sweden – a significant addition to electricity production that can be built quickly, states Robert Wedmo, Ilmatar’s Head of Permitting.

Planning the Tönnersjö solar farm began in 2022 when Ilmatar signed a land lease agreement with forest owner Silvestica Green Forest. Following rigorous environmental impact assessments and consultations, the application for the 450-hectare park has now been formally submitted to Halland County authorities. With a projected capacity exceeding 450 megawatts, the Tönnersjö solar farm has the possibility to energize over 23,000 households.

The direct connection of the solar farm to the national grid will significantly enhance energy production where it is most needed – in Sweden’s southern electricity area SE4, says Robert Wedmo.

With the submission of the permit application for Tönnersjö, Ilmatar has achieved a significant milestone, surpassing 1 gigawatt in project applications submitted to authorities, primarily concentrated in high-demand regions like southern Sweden.

In just two years in Sweden, Ilmatar has contributed to significant shifts in the Swedish renewable energy landscape. With over six gigawatts in our project, we are pioneering a novel approach to power generation, prioritizing areas with minimal ecological impact. Next to none of our ongoing projects are planned on agricultural land. The focus is mainly on areas with low nature values, such as impediments and production forests, says Christian Gustafsson, Country Director for Ilmatar in Sweden.

We are ready for substantial development, merely awaiting permits and gird connections, Gustafsson adds.

The Tönnersjö solar farm site predominantly comprises production forests ready for harvesting. Areas with high nature values have been excluded from the project plan. In areas like this, with limited nature values, establishing solar energy production can, with suitable measures, even support biodiversity and local ecosystems.

In Tönnersjö, our initiative not only generates clean energy but also aids in restoring Halland’s lost moorland landscape, says Robert Wedmo.

Rickard Lehmann, Senior Advisor at Silvestica Green Forest, expresses enthusiasm for the collaboration with Ilmatar, highlighting the alignment of the solar farm project with Silvestica’s environmental objectives:

The forest itself utilises solar energy through the fantastic process of photosynthesis, which also binds the carbon atoms in the wood through a gigantic uptake of carbon dioxide CO2. We’re excited about the prospect of soon also generating valuable green electricity for society through Ilmatar’s solar farm on Silvestica’s land!