Ymer is one of our Greenfield projects, which means that we start from scratch by investigating the technical and environmental conditions for establishing a wind farm in the area. RWE has applied to carry out the necessary bottom surveys, which will also contribute to the permits that the wind farm will need.

RWE is expanding renewable electricity production in order to electrify society, contribute to climate change and strengthen the competitiveness of Swedish industry. The wind farm, which would have an installed capacity of about 4 GW, can be an important addition to strengthen the energy supply in southern Sweden, where there is a great need for new electricity production.

The area

The Ymer wind farm is planned within Sweden's economic zone and outside the territorial boundary about 60 km south of Karlskrona in the Southern Baltic Sea.

The wind farm is planned to cover approximately 710 square kilometres.

The location is an investigation area for energy extraction according to the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management's proposal for amended marine spatial plans 2023.

The location combines optimal wind conditions with accessibility, which facilitates both construction and maintenance of the wind turbines.

The construction of a wind farm requires a wide range of authorisations. The first is a licence to carry out seabed surveys to assess the technical and environmental conditions for a future wind farm and a future installation of a power transmission cable to the Swedish mainland. These surveys also provide a basis for the permits that the wind farm will need in a later authorisation process.

For surveys and exploration of the seabed, permits are required under the Continental Shelf Act (1966:314) (KSL). An application for a permit to explore the continental shelf, in accordance with Section 3 of KSL, was submitted in August 2022 and is being considered by the Government.

Surveys will be conducted throughout the study area in one or more phases. The results of the surveys will form the basis for decisions on the location and design of the planned wind farm, taking into account the conditions of the area and minimising the environmental impact.

The project is at an early stage and scoping consultations are currently underway for the preparation of an environmental impact assessment and application for a permit for the establishment and operation of the Ymer offshore wind farm. The consultation is part of the permit process, which means that the relevant authorities, organisations, particularly interested parties and the public have the opportunity to comment on the planned activities. For RWE, the consultation also means obtaining the knowledge and conditions needed to develop the wind farm according to the site's conditions.

The planned environmental impact assessment will form the basis for the application for the necessary licences under the Environmental Code (1998:808) and the Swedish Economic Zone Act (1992:1140). The wind farm is located about 10 km west of the Natura 2000 site Hoburgs bank and Midsjöbankarna. A special Natura 2000 assessment according to Chapter 7, Section 28a of the Environmental Code is not considered relevant for the wind farm and the internal cable network. In the event that a Natura 2000 permit is considered necessary at a later stage, the consultation also includes this.