OX2, Ingka Investments move to build energy hub offshore Sweden

OX2 and Ingka Investments have submitted a permit application under the act of Sweden’s Exclusive Economic Zone to build the Neptunus offshore energy hub off the coast of Blekinge, in the south of Sweden.

The Neptunus offshore energy hub is planned to comprise up to 207 wind turbines with a maximum height of 420 meters and will be situated about 50 kilometers from the coast.

The application encompasses a total installed capacity of 3,100 MW. The production is estimated to be about 13-15 TWh annually, which corresponds to the current total electricity consumption of the Blekinge and Skåne regions, according to the developers.

OX2 has previously applied for a Natura 2000 permit for the energy hub and if permits are obtained, construction can start in 2030, the partners said.

Besides offshore wind power, OX2 and Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ingka Group, the biggest IKEA retailer, have also applied for offshore hydrogen production of a maximum of 370,000 tonnes annually, as well as a pilot project to oxygenate the Baltic Sea.

Oxygen is a byproduct of hydrogen production and can be used to oxygenate the Baltic Sea, thereby contributing to restoring marine life in an area with oxygen deficiency, said the partners.

“The energy hub Neptunus is one of the first of the next generation of wind farms. By producing renewable energy and hydrogen, Sweden will be able to secure energy for sectors that can’t be electrified. The oxygen from the hydrogen production can also be used to oxygenate the bottom water in the Baltic Sea and improve biodiversity,” said Emelie Zakrisson, head of offshore wind development in Sweden, OX2.

The project is in an early development phase and 1.9 GW is included in OX2’s project development portfolio, which by the end of the third quarter of 2023 amounted to 34,074 MW.

OX2 is developing six offshore wind farms in Sweden together with Ingka Investments: the 400 MW Galene on the west coast, the 1.4 GW Triton and Neptunus in the south of Sweden, the 5.5 GW Aurora between the islands of Öland and Gotland, and the 2.8 GW Pleione and Ran off the east coast of Gotland.