Nordic energy company Ilmatar is constructing a solar farm in Grums, central Sweden. This project aims to generate a significant amount of clean energy, with an annual electricity generation capacity of up to 350GWh and a rated output of 350 MWp. The primary purpose of this solar farm is to cater to the electricity requirements of approximately 17,500 privately owned homes that rely on electric heating systems.
The company, based in the Nordic region, has recently secured a 50-year lease agreement with landowners in Grums, Värmland, located in central Sweden. This paves the way for Ilmatar’s plans to construct a large-scale solar farm spanning an area of 300-400hectares on the leased land.
Once completed, this solar farm will rank among the largest in Sweden.
The upcoming large-scale solar farm will be constructed utilising production forest land that has been heavily impacted by bark beetles and deemed unsuitable for other purposes.
The construction of the solar farm exemplifies Ilmatar’s remarkable expansion in Sweden. In under a year, Ilmatar has successfully leased a substantial amount of land, enabling them to generate an impressive 4.2 terawatt hours (TWh) of solar power annually. This capacity is sufficient to meet the electricity needs of approximately 210,000 households on a yearly basis.
Ilmatar Solar CEO Christian Gustafsson said: “We are strongly committed to expanding renewable energy production in Sweden and look forward to finishing construction and connecting the farm to the main grid as soon as all permits are in place. The Grums farm is a long-awaited boost for energy production and is of special local importance.”
According to a December 2022 forecast by the Swedish Energy Agency, there is a projected doubling of electricity demand in Sweden by the year 2035. This surge in demand can be attributed to various factors. Firstly, the steel industry in Norrland has made significant investments in fossil-free production, which has contributed to the increased energy requirements. Additionally, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has triggered an energy crisis across Europe, further intensifying the need for reliable and sustainable energy sources.
Simultaneously, there has been a noteworthy trend of businesses heavily investing in the expansion of fossil-free energy solutions. In this context, many landowners have expressed their willingness to lease their land for the development and expansion of solar energy projects.
