First offshore wind farm planned off Faroe Islands

Power company SEV plans to build the first offshore wind farm off the Faroe Islands. 

It aims to build a 96-120MW offshore wind farm off Tórshavn, the capital city of the remote north-east Atlantic archipelago, having struggled to develop onshore wind farms due to public opposition.

The power company – owned by the Faroe islands’ municipalities – intends to assess the 120MW Tórshavn Tórshavn (120MW) Offshoreoff Tórshavn, Faroe Islands Click to see full details project’s environmental impact and carry out all the necessary surveys to secure project permits and licences, before entering the development and engineering stage.

SEV hopes to commission the project by late 2025.

It added that it would build the new offshore wind project instead of “at least five onshore wind farms”.

“An offshore wind farm would speed up the transition to sustainable electricity generation,” explained Terji Nielsen, research and development manager of SEV.

“In recent years, we have experienced delays of at least two of three planned onshore wind farms. The Nimby (not in my backyard) phenomenon playing a part in these delays.”

The Faroe Islands aims to source all of the territory’s electricity from renewables by 2030.

It currently sources most of its electricity from thermal power and hydro, but also has a small contribution from onshore wind, according to SEV’s website.