Wind power generated a record 27% of electricity in Sweden in February

Stuart Mitchell

New data from energy think-tank Ember reveals that Sweden saw its highest-ever share of wind power generation in February with 27% (4 TWh). Following a strong wind month in January (26%, 3.9 TWh), Sweden also reached a milestone by generating over a quarter of its electricity from wind power for two consecutive months.

This comes as Sweden has significantly increased onshore wind capacity installations in recent years. Last year, Sweden installed the second most wind capacity in the EU (2.4 GW). Only Germany installed more, at 2.5 GW. Since 2018, Sweden’s wind capacity has doubled.

This capacity increase has allowed Sweden to more easily respond to fluctuations across its power sector. Last year, increased wind generation was able to make up for a 6% fall in Sweden’s hydro output, as droughts affected hydro across Europe.

Sweden is one of the few EU countries currently on track to install wind power at the rate needed to align with 1.5C pathways.

The push for more wind capacity is paying off for Sweden. Higher wind generation makes Sweden’s grid more resilient against droughts, and protects consumers from high costs. With policy ambition high to expand wind power further, Sweden is set for further benefits to costs, security and climate. Other European countries could see the same if they follow suit.

Nicolas Fulghum Energy and Climate Data Analyst

Related posts

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.