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Lillgrund – the largest offshore wind farm in Sweden

Lillgrund – the largest offshore wind farm in Sweden
The billowing grey-green waves in the Øresund sound between southern Sweden and Denmark are accompanied by a biting wind. The captain steers west, towards Sweden’s largest offshore wind farm: Lillgrund. On the blustery trip to the wind turbines, you can see a glimpse of the Øresund Bridge and the Turning Torso skyscraper in Malmö on the Swedish coast. The white turbines are 115 metres high and tower above us on all sides. The large, round transformer station – the heart of the entire wind farm – is located at one end of the farm.

10 km out to sea

When Lillgrund Wind Farm was commissioned in December 2007 it was the third-largest wind farm in the world. The 48 turbines have a capacity of 2.3 MW each. The 115-metre high wind turbines and the round transformer station in Lillgrund are located about 10 km off the coast, and are visible on the horizon from the coast.

How is the environment affected?

All energy generation affects the environment. The impact of a wind farm is greatest during the construction stage. All interests were carefully weighed up when Lillgrund was planned. Serious consideration was given to flora and fauna, leisure activities, the cultural environment, shipping and fishing, and also to the residents in the region. During operation, Lillgrund is virtually free of environmentally harmful emissions.

In order to find out more about how wind power affects the environment, Vattenfall conducted environmental studies before and after construction of the wind farm. The studies concerned issues such as fish, mussels, other marine fauna, marine flora and birds.  

Public opinion surveys

Vattenfall conducted three public opinion surveys before, during and after construction of the wind farm. These showed that the proportion of local residents who are positive or neutral to the farm has increased. 

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