Eolus has been granted an environmental permit for a wind farm east of Marbäck in Ulricehamn municipality. "This is positive news both for us as a company and for Västra Götaland, which has a dire need for fossil-free electricity quickly", says Per Witalisson, CEO of Eolus.

The Marbäck wind farm comprises eight wind turbines with an estimated production of around 200 GWh of renewable electricity annually in SE3, which corresponds to the annual need for household electricity for approximately 40,000 households. In September 2024, the Ulricehamn municipal council approved the environmental assessment of the farm, and now the Environmental Assessment Delegation at the Västra Götaland County Administrative Board (MPD) has announced that Eolus will receive an environmental permit to build the wind farm.

"Given that a large majority of planned wind farms have been stopped by the municipal veto in recent years, it is very positive that the Ulricehamn municipality approved the Marbäck wind farm and that the MPD is now issuing a permit for the construction of the facility", says Per Witalisson.

In the permit decision, the authority has based itself on the environmental impact statement and other documents submitted by Eolus and other parties and has assessed that the facility can be built in accordance with the provisions of the Environmental Code.

"The fact that the County Administrative Board sees, as we do, what a good opportunity for renewable electricity production this is demonstrates Eolus' experience and expertise in running successful projects. Project managers Anna Gunnarsson and Jakob Economou have done a very good job with the application", says Helena Tillborg, Head of Sweden at Eolus.

The Västra Götaland region is in great need of fossil-free electricity to enable the transition that the industrial and transport sectors are in the midst of. The transition is necessary both to reduce climate impact and for companies to cope in global competition. According to Statistics Sweden, approximately 50 percent of the energy used in the Västra Götaland region today is fossil-based, mainly in the form of gas and oil. Changing this requires, among other things, that operations and processes be electrified. At the same time, the Västra Götaland region is already dependent on imports of electricity from other regions to cover its current electricity use to the extent of approximately 70 percent.

The Marbäck wind farm brings benefits to the local community in the form of community funds to local associations, local resident compensation, rental compensation and the compensation promised by the government to the municipality corresponding to the property tax for wind power.

The County Administrative Board's decision will now be announced, and those affected will have the opportunity to appeal. Only when the decision becomes legally binding can Eolus take the next step to prepare for investment decisions. The assessment is that the park could be ready to be put into operation in 2028/2029.

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Eolus