Ilmatar’s first Swedish solar farm ready to be built
Published by Jessica Casey,
Editor
Energy Global,
Ilmatar’s first Swedish solar farm has become fully permitted and is ready to be built to produce renewable energy. The 55 MWp solar farm, that will be built on two locations covering approximately 54 ha. of land altogether, is in Knihult, Småland in southern Sweden.
In addition to solar panels, a 20 MW battery to balance the power and allow optimal use of renewable energy is planned to be installed to both locations. Ilmatar aims to start building the solar farm during spring 2024 and grid connection is planned already for early 2025.
“More renewable energy is needed to accelerate green transition. Solar energy has immense potential in Sweden. Knihult’s solar farm will be our first, but by no means last. I look forward to start building it and then connecting the farm to the grid,” commented Christian Gustafsson, Managing Director, Ilmatar Solar AB.
The land where Knihult’s solar farm will be built was previously used for peat extraction. The land area will be restored to wetland before solar panels are installed. Due to its previous use, the land area would not be suitable for food production, for example. With a solar farm on it, the land will be used to provide Southern Sweden the much-needed renewable energy.
Ilmatar started operations in Sweden in the beginning of 2022. Knihult solar farm is the latest indication of company’s rapid growth in Sweden. Since starting operations there, Ilmatar has leased enough land to generate 4.2 TWh/y of solar power. This meets the electricity demand of approximately 210 000 detached houses.
“I am excited to see Ilmatar’s growth in Sweden. We have said that we are strongly committed to starting renewable energy production in Sweden, and Knihult is a great concrete step forward in our journey. In general, we have succeeded well in finding and leasing suitable land for solar energy production, especially taking into consideration the challenging grid situation,” added Ilmatar Energy’s CEO Juha-Pekka Weckström.
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Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/solar/13102023/ilmatars-first-swedish-solar-farm-ready-to-be-built/
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