The complex necessity : A qualitative study exploring the current process for grid connection of large-scale onshore wind farms in Sweden

Sammanfattning: Sweden has a goal of having an electricity production solemnly comprising renewable energy sources by the year 2040. To cater for the fulfillment of this goal, more onshore wind power will be needed in Sweden. The wind farm itself has been studied both in terms of its impacts on societal and environmental interests as well as how the Swedish spatial planning system paves the way for more wind power or not. The connection of wind farms to the regional and national transmission grid is far less studied. Therefore, this thesis explores the grid connection process and how it is experienced by the practitioners in terms of wind power developers and network operators. Also, the ways in which the power grid is taken into account when finding a location for a wind farm is studied. This is done by a literature review and a thematic analysis of ten conducted interviews. The grid connection process is presented, along with the four main themes identified by the thematic analysis; Making two long processes parallel, The importance of grid capacity, Dialogue between the developer and the network operator and Proactive consideration of grid connection. The results suggest that the grid connection process, in combination with the wind farm development, is experienced as time-consuming, which gives rise to problems regarding technology development and puts the finalization of the entire project at risk. Consequently, the practitioners want to make the processes more parallel. This is however complicated by the associated risks of not being reassured grid capacity and inflexible permit procedures. Another important result is that the network operators and developers often have different interests to guard, which can complicate the grid connection process further. The available capacity in the grid is crucial when locating a wind farm, but also the economic distance to the point of connection, which in turn depends on several parameters. It is suggested that consideration of the power grid should be more integrated with the spatial planning in Sweden. This can improve the predictability of wind power planning, promote adequate power grid planning and facilitate the Swedish goal of an electricity production only comprised of renewable energy by 2040.