The Swedish government has denied permission for the construction of 13 wind farms in the Baltic Sea due to national security concerns.
"Based on documentation from the Armed Forces, the government assesses that the construction of wind generation in these areas will lead to unacceptable consequences for Sweden's military defense. Given the serious security situation Sweden currently faces, with war in close proximity, defense interests must take precedence when such judgments are made," the government statement reads.
It is explained that the wind turbines interfere with radar surveillance and missile attack warnings. Specifically, they could completely obstruct the detection of low-altitude targets, such as cruise missiles and drones, and also prevent the detection of ballistic missile launches. Naturally, this refers to Russian missiles.
That is why the ban on wind farm construction applies only to the eastern and southern coasts of Sweden, while there are no such restrictions in the western part of the country. This is clearly illustrated in the map published by the Swedish government regarding the development of offshore wind generation.
It should be understood that we are indeed talking about entire "fields" of wind turbines, as these 13 wind farms in the Baltic Sea were intended to consist of approximately 1500 turbines in total. However, Stockholm has made a clear choice between green energy and security threats.
Let us remind you that Sweden, which has become a new NATO member, intends to increase its defense spending to 2.6% of GDP by 2030.