Sweden’s Energy Giant Breaks New Ground With First Solar Farms Amid Nuclear Push

While Sweden is known for its long, dark winters, the country’s state-owned energy giant Vattenfall is making a bold move into solar power. The company has established a dedicated business unit called “Vattenfall Photovoltaic & Battery,” which launched on July 1, 2017. This unit focuses solely on solar and battery storage projects across Europe.

Vattenfall has committed €150 million to invest in solar farms and battery storage in six countries: Sweden, UK, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and France. The company recently began building large-scale solar parks, including a 5MW array that shares land with wind turbines to use space more efficiently.

Vattenfall’s €150 million investment powers solar and battery projects across six European countries, maximizing land use through innovative hybrid installations.

Early 2025 marked an important milestone as Vattenfall completed five new large-scale solar farms. One example is the Tützpatz solar farm, scheduled for completion in 2025. These projects are part of Vattenfall’s strategy to expand in markets where solar has become the cheapest electricity source.

The company’s approach combines different renewable energy sources in “hybrid parks.” These parks mix solar panels with wind turbines and sometimes battery storage. This approach helps address the intermittent generation issues that typically challenge renewable energy adoption. This smart combination allows Vattenfall to share grid connections and reduce total project costs. The Haringvliet hybrid park in the Netherlands exemplifies this approach with its six wind turbines combined with solar capacity and battery storage.

Germany has become a “hot spot” for Vattenfall’s solar farming due to lower costs and supportive regulations in 2025. Sweden also serves as a major starting point for the company’s solar ambitions as the country works to diversify its energy sources.

Vattenfall’s push into solar is part of its larger goal to achieve CO₂-free operations within a generation. The company has structured its renewable energy operations into three distinct areas: onshore wind, offshore wind, and solar plus storage.

Despite Sweden’s parallel efforts to expand nuclear power, Vattenfall sees solar as a strategic growth area. In Q1 2025, Vattenfall made significant progress in new nuclear power with the Swedish government presenting a state risk-sharing bill. The company’s investments align with market trends and regulatory support for renewables across Europe, positioning the Swedish energy giant as a leader in the continent’s energy evolution.