OX2, a Swedish developer of renewable energy, has secured a Natura 2000 permit for its Triton offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea, 23km off the coast of Skåne County, Sweden.

Natura 2000 is the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world. In Europe, around 18% of the land and more than 8% of the marine territory come under it.

The area offers a safe haven for valuable and threatened species and habitats. It includes a network of core breeding and resting sites, and stretches across all 27 EU countries.

With a capacity of 1.5GW, the Triton wind farm will generate seven terawatt-hours of clean energy annually – around half of the total energy consumption of Skåne.

In June 2023, the project was approved by the county administrative board of Skåne, which also suggested that the Swedish Government should grant a permit under the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

Construction of the wind farm could begin by 2027, with production expected to begin before 2030.

OX2 Sweden offshore wind development head Emelie Zakrisson stated: “We are very happy to see the fast pace of the authorities’ handling of the applications. We are doing everything we can to secure a fast start to construction. In parallel, we have initiated the application for a concession to connect to the grid and signed agreements with several major suppliers.

"All of OX2’s projects should be nature positive by 2030, meaning we develop ways to strengthen biological diversity. For Triton that means, among other things, improving the living conditions for cod. We are also investigating ways to protect the shoreline from erosion.”

In August 2022, Ingka Investments, a subsidiary of the Ingka Group that owns IKEA, paid OX2 €58m for a 49% stake in Triton and two other Swedish offshore wind farms, Galatea-Galene and Aurora, which are currently in development.