Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson announced during a press conference that the presence of wind farms in the Baltic Sea may make it difficult to detect and shoot down missiles using Patriot batteries. – In a serious security threat situation like Sweden finds itself, defense interests must have priority – he said, adding that the security situation in the Baltic Sea is “extremely sensitive”.
The Swedes are suspending the construction of wind farms. There are great doubts in the background
The Baltic Sentiel describes that the Swedish Armed Forces conducted research that showed that wind farms can significantly disrupt the operation of sensors used by the military. Towers and rotating blades of wind turbines, among others. emit radar echoes. Therefore, there is a risk that they will interfere with military radars and delay the detection of incoming cruise missiles, reducing the warning time from 120 seconds to 60 seconds.
One wind farm on the west coast has been permitted. Ten more are waiting for the government's decision. However, the Swedish government rejected 13 applications for the construction of offshore wind farms for defense reasons.
– The government takes the issue of offshore wind energy seriously because it involves a conflict between two of our biggest problems for the future: Sweden's security and energy needs – assured Pal Jonson.
In 2023, wind electricity accounted for approximately 21 percent of all energy produced in the country. However, wind farms are almost exclusively located on land.
Poland is building offshore wind farms. Orlen is already drilling
Meanwhile, offshore wind farms are being built in Poland. Orlen is drilling for undersea cables connecting marine power stations with land as part of the Baltic Power investment. RWE, on the other hand, signed an agreement to lease land in Ustka for the operational and service base for the Baltic II offshore wind farm. It will be built by PGE Baltica – a daughter company of the Polish Energy Group.