OSLO (Reuters) – Wind power generation in Sweden is expected to increase by some 70% by 2024 compared with last year’s level amid a boom in capacity additions, the Swedish Energy Agency said in an analysis published on Monday.
Wind power generation is expected to rise from 27.4 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2021 to 46.9 TWh in 2024, driven by a strong expansion of installed capacity, according to a biannual forecast published by the government-appointed agency.
In 2021, Sweden installed 2.1 gigawatt (GW) of new wind power capacity, equating 6.8 TWh of normal annual production, according to industry figures.
Total net electricity production will rise from 165.7 TWh to 183.5 TWh over the same period, which will also see a tripling of solar output from 1.1 TWh to 3 TWh, the Swedish Energy Agency data showed.
Hydropower and nuclear power will remain Sweden’s largest and second-largest sources of electricity generation, at a steady 66 TWh and 52 TWh over the period.
Sweden’s net power exports are expected to rise from 25.6 TWh to 41.4 TWh between 2021 and 2024, although this figure could be smaller if consumption rises faster than projected, the agency said.
Power demand from the transport sector should rise from 3.2 TWh to 4.9 TWh over the next three years, while industrial electricity consumption is expected to grow from 46.5 TWh to 47.8 TWh.
However, the latter figure only includes projects that have been fully permitted and could rise by 7.6 TWh if larger projects are approved, the agency added.
Several companies have said they plan to establish fossil-free methods of producing steel and batteries.
(Reporting by Nora Buli, editing by Terje Solsvik)
