Ellevio buys power grid linked to 3.4-GW Swedish wind cluster

September 21 (Renewables Now) - Swedish energy company Ellevio has bought the transmission network that is linked to the Markbygden 1101 cluster of wind farms in northern Sweden whose total capacity is expected to reach about 3,400 MW.

The Markbygden Net AB power route connects parts of the Markbygden 1101, with about 1.7 GW of distribution capacity, and annual generation of about 5 TWh to 6 TWh. Upon acquiring the grid, Ellevio will have five customers consisting of the wind farm operators, according to a statement.

The transmission network was acquired from German-Swedish wind and solar energy company Svevind AB, which had a stake of 75%, and German wind turbine manufacturer Enercon, which owned the remaining 25%. Financial details of the transaction were not provided.

Markbygden 1101, located outside Piteå, Norrbotten County, is described as Europe's largest wind farm cluster. The complex of interconnected wind farms is expected to deliver up to 12 TWh annually which is equivalent to about 7% of Sweden's total electricity production.

The project is realised in three separate stages and, once completed, it will house up to 1,101 wind turbines. Phase 3 is the last, and potentially the largest, of the project, located between the villages of Koler and Långträsk. In 2018, it obtained permission for the construction of up to 442 wind turbines with a total capacity of 1.35 GW, according to Svevind’s website.