Salsberget wind farm
Project Development
On the path to renewable energy in Västerbotten
Bjurholm
The project area is located approximately 30 km southwest of Bjurholm town centre, between the communities of Karlsbäck and Bredträsk. The area in question has been identified as a suitable area for wind power development in the municipality’s supplementary comprehensive plan from 2010. The area mainly consists of managed forests, wetland areas and lakes. Consultation and environmental studies have been carried out since 2021, and at the end of 2024 the permit application was submitted to the County Administrative Board of Västerbotten. The application is now with Bjurholm Municipality for endorsement, with a preliminary timetable for the municipality to make a decision in the municipal council at the end of 2025. If the municipality issues a positive veto decision, the application will be reviewed under the Environmental Code by the Environmental Permitting Delegation at the County Administrative Board of Västerbotten.
Estimated commissioning
Not specified
Expected Annual Production
500 GWh
Number of turbines
22
About the Project
The proposed layout consists of 22 wind turbines with a maximum total height of 300 m, which could potentially amount to a capacity of around 160 MW and annual production of approximately 500 GWh. That is as much electricity as the average household electricity consumption of 100,000 households. At present, there is an electricity production surplus in price area SE2. However, forecasts point to strong growth in industrial electricity consumption, so when Salsberget wind farm is ready for production sometime after 2030, the power is expected to be able to be delivered to industries in the Norrland region.
About half of the 3,800-hectare project area is owned by the forestry company SCA. The remainder consists of privately owned properties.
The project began with inventories of birds and natural values during the 2021 – 2023 seasons, as well as an assessment of the technical conditions for the placement of turbines and infrastructure. Consultations were then carried out with authorities, stakeholders, and the public during 2023 - 2024. The permit application was submitted at the end of 2024. The permit application is now with Bjurholm Municipality for approval. In addition to the municipality's veto decision, the project must continue its dialogue with the armed forces to find a way to coexist. Examples of possible solutions for coexistence with the armed forces are reducing the height of the turbines and adjusting their placement.
The cable network in the wind farm will be gathered in a transformer substation, from which a power line will run to the upstream grid. It is likely that Vattenfall Eldistribution will be responsible for connecting the park to the upstream grid, and to build this connection line a grid concession from the Swedish Energy Markets Inspectorate is required. According to the project's initial dialogue with Vattenfall Eldistribution, it is most appropriate to connect Salsberget wind farm to a grid station called Norrtjärn, located 35 km northwest of the project area.
Why a wind farm here, specifically?
First and foremost, we assess that the area is very well suited for a large wind farm with the future technology (turbine size) that may be available on the market in a few years' time. This creates the conditions for low production costs and limited environmental impact.
For a wind farm at Salsberget, there are good opportunities to benefit from the expertise built up through the large wind farms in Västerbotten that have been built in recent years. This applies both to construction and to operations/maintenance.
The driving force behind expanding electricity generation in northern Sweden is the industrial investments aimed at reducing CO2 emissions in basic industry, primarily the mining and steel industries. The steel plant in Boden alone, which is under construction, will need around 10 TWh annually to produce the hydrogen required in the steel process. There are also plans to establish entirely new industry in the northern price areas, e.g. production of CO2-free marine fuel. The reason these industries plan to locate in the north is that there are good conditions for producing cost-effective electricity within the northern price areas, and electricity is an important input in their production.
Why Aneo?
The renewable energy group Aneo was established in the fall of 2022 through a collaboration between the energy company TrønderEnergi and the investment fund HitecVision. We have just over 180 employees, with our headquarters in Trondheim.
Aneo is built on 70 years of experience in the development and operation of large power projects. Aneo owns and operates 13 wind farms and two solar power plants in Norway, Sweden, and Finland, with production in all three countries. Additionally, the group holds a stake in Sunna Group AB, which develops, builds, and operates solar power plants in Sweden. Aneo also has several subsidiaries in areas such as energy services, mobility, and development.
We have extensive experience collaborating with municipalities, where we have built strong relationships with both residents, politicians, and the administration. Together with local authorities, we are creating the energy solutions of the future, with a focus on safety and presence in the local community.
One of the things that sets us apart from most of our competitors is that when Aneo seeks to build a wind power plant in a Norwegian municipality, it's with long-term intentions in mind, not to sell the project or power plant onward. We invest to build, build to own, and own to operate. This means that we are here now, during any construction process, and of course, every single day throughout the power plant's lifespan.
Technical information about the project
The project area is approximately 3,800 hectares, and the proposed layout consists of 22 wind turbines with a maximum total height of 300 meters.
The Salsberget wind farm is estimated to be able to contribute an annual production of around 500 GWh. The site has good wind conditions and few conflicting interests. The project area has been largely adapted so as not to encroach on valuable natural areas. The impacts on national interests are assessed to be acceptable. After decommissioning, the natural environment is expected to recover over time and the consequences to be negligible.
Within the project area there are, among other things, reindeer grazing, hunting, hiking, snowmobile use and berry picking. During the construction and decommissioning phases, access will be somewhat restricted for safety reasons. During the operational phase, there are no restrictions on outdoor recreation or hunting. The Salsberget wind farm is assessed to have minor negative impacts on outdoor recreation and leisure during operation.
Before construction of the wind farm, roads within the project area will be reinforced and widened to handle the heavy transport associated with wind power development.
Process
A permit application for 22 wind turbines was submitted to the Environmental Permitting Delegation in late autumn 2024.
At present, Aneo is awaiting municipal approval (the veto decision), which the municipal council has said it will postpone deciding on until the government has made a decision on property tax and other economic incentives. Aneo considers it reasonable to await the approval decision. A decision on the property tax is expected to be made in connection with the autumn budget bill.
If the municipality approves the project, the application will proceed to environmental permitting by the Environmental Permitting Delegation. If it considers the wind farm's environmental impact acceptable, a permit will be granted.
The decision from the Environmental Permitting Delegation can be appealed.
Contact us
Do you have any feedback for us about our project, or are you wondering about something?
Mattias Törnkvist
Project Manager
