Statkraft has agreed with the municipality of Karlshamn to acquire industrial land for the establishment of a facility for the production and storage of e-fuels. The fuel is intended to be produced using electricity from the Baltic Offshore Beta wind farm that Statkraft plans off the coast of Blekinge.
The land allocation and lease agreements signed grant Statkraft the exclusive right to prepare for the development of an area of 32.5 hectares adjacent to Karlshamn Port. The area is currently being detailed planned.
“These agreements are an important milestone for us to proceed with our plans to realize Baltic Offshore Beta and create sustainable, stable electricity production in southern Sweden,” says Jakob Norström, CEO of Statkraft in Sweden.
The facility will enable the use of some of the electricity generated by the wind farm to produce and store hydrogen-based fuels, and to generate electricity even in situations with lower wind power production. In this way, the facility contributes to ensuring the future need for reliable energy sources, independent of weather conditions. This concept is called Green Flexible Baseload Power.
“Through this collaboration, we demonstrate that Karlshamn/Blekinge is a strategic location for the development of tomorrow’s energy production, which in the long term creates more jobs and contributes to a larger tax base in the municipality,” says Magnus Gärdebring (M), Chairman of the Municipal Board, Karlshamn Municipality.
Statkraft is in an expansive phase, developing several offshore wind farms. One such wind farm is Baltic Offshore Beta, planned to consist of up to 127 wind turbines located in the Baltic Sea about 85 km southeast of Karlshamn. When fully developed, the park is expected to produce 10.5 TWh annually, roughly equivalent to the household electricity of 1.7 million villas. Statkraft submitted an application for permission to the government in June 2023.
Karlshamn Municipality aims to develop Stilleryd and Karlshamn Port with adjacent areas to create an attractive and sustainable environment for current operations and new establishments.
Statkraft’s planned hydrogen facility, together with the wind farm, would mean that mainly industry and other activities in Karlshamn/Blekinge, but also in the rest of Southern Sweden, would have more access to reliable green electricity. This increases the attractiveness for new establishments and creates several synergies for surrounding activities, such as Karlshamn Port and Campus Karlshamn, as well as for other actors in education, hotels, commerce, industry, logistics, transport, and more.
Baltic Offshore Beta and the hydrogen facility are expected to be operational around 2030 and could then provide long-term employment for around 100 people when fully developed.
