Sweden's defense raises concerns over planned offshore wind power

Image: iStock

By AFP

Sweden's Defense Minister Pál Jónsson warned on Friday about wind power. Plans to build offshore wind farms on the Baltic Sea coast could compromise national defense capabilities amid growing concerns about regional security following heightened tensions with Russia.

A study by the Swedish Armed Forces and reported by public broadcaster SVT found that more than a dozen proposed wind projects in the Baltic Sea have a high potential to interfere with critical military sensors, as the rotating blades and structures of wind turbines create radar echoes and other disturbances, including underwater obstacles, and could hinder Sweden's ability to detect submarines.

In a statement to AFP, Johnson expressed deep concerns over the impact of the wind power farm on Sweden's proposed preparedness. In the statement, he highlighted the significant changes in the security environment in the Baltic region since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. As a result, offshore wind parks could reduce the warning time of a missile attack from two minutes to 60 seconds," he said, stressing the importance of the issue "given the current security situation in Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea."

In response, NATO has opened a new naval base in Rostov, Germany, to enhance coordination among its members in the area. Sweden's growing reliance on clean energy sources has added complexity to its defense plans.