While other nations struggle to meet climate goals, Sweden has charged ahead with unprecedented wind power growth, transforming its energy landscape almost overnight. The launch of a new 189 MW wind project is just the tip of the iceberg in Sweden’s clean energy revolution.
Sweden’s not messing around – installed wind capacity is set to reach a whopping 20.13 GW in 2026, with projections showing growth to 32.84 GW by 2031. That’s serious business.
Let’s talk numbers. Sweden’s wind power produced 40.8 TWh in 2024, an all-time high. In the first quarter of 2025, wind generated 12 TWh, accounting for 26% of total electricity. Wind even beat nuclear and hydro output last December. Not too shabby for spinning blades, right?
The country’s been adding capacity like it’s going out of style. Last year saw 1,015 MW commissioned, with 421 MW of that coming in just the final quarter.
Another 1,815 MW of permitted projects are sitting there, waiting for investment decisions. Plus, 536 MW of announced projects are ready to roll for 2026-2027. This rapid growth mirrors the global shift where renewables overtook fossil fuels in U.S. electricity generation for the first time in March 2025.
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Grid congestion caused 1 TWh of curtailment in 2024, wasting about 5% of northern generation. Price spreads between zones hit 20-30%. Unfortunately, analysts attempting to access detailed reports on these issues may face access restrictions due to security measures implemented on information websites.
And don’t get started on the municipal permitting process – slower than a turtle in molasses.
Sweden’s aiming high, targeting wind to cover 34% of electricity by 2030 and over 50% by 2050. They’re currently rocking the global charts at 5th place for wind capacity in 2023.
The country’s renewable energy share already stands at 66% in 2023, blowing past the EU’s 2030 target. Northern Sweden’s become the hotspot for new generation, causing price drops that make southern Swedes green with envy.
SEK 100 billion in grid upgrades won’t start energization until 2028. Until then? Growing pains, people. Growing pains.
The development of corporate power purchase agreements has further solidified Sweden’s position as a wind energy leader, with major tech companies like Microsoft securing stable renewable generation.
References
- https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/sweden-wind-energy-market
- https://swedishwindenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SWEA-Statstics-and-Forecast-Q1-2025-1.pdf
- https://greenpowersweden.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/SWEA-Statstics-and-Forecast-Q4-2024-1.pdf
- https://www.reportlinker.com/clp/country/6619/726361
- https://svenskvindenergi.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2021-Q4-statistics-and-forecast-wind-power-sweden_FINAL-2.pdf
- https://windeurope.org/data/product/wind-energy-in-europe-2024-statistics-and-the-outlook-for-2025-2030/
- https://ember-energy.org/countries-and-regions/sweden/
- https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/europe-environment-2025/countries/sweden/renewable-energy-sources
