Svenska kraftnät start Skogsäter-Ingelkärr project in Västra Götaland

Now Svenska kraftnät is starting the Skogsäter-Ingelkärr project, in which a new 400 kV line will be built to increase capacity in Västra Götaland and contribute to enabling large-scale electrification schemes in the region.

In Västra Götaland, a number of large industrial enterprises and electrification initiatives that require a significant increase in energy production are planned. Transmission capacity across the transmission network north of Gothenburg is not sufficient to meet the required power output and to allow new wind power connections north of Skogsäter and in the sea off the west coast.
In order to be able to meet the growing need for grid capacity and enable new wind power connections, the transmission network must be strengthened. Therefore, Svenska kraftnät has started the Skogsäter-Ingelkärr project in which the transmission network is being augmented by a new 400 kV overhead line between Trollhättan municipality and Alle municipality, with a connection point in Stenungsund.

Compact schedule to meet power requirements
According to the schedule, the new line should be commissioned in 2031. There are forecasts where Västra Götaland’s energy production is expected to double within ten years. It is therefore of great importance for electrification plans and for planned industrial establishments that the line be available as soon as possible. So Svenska kraftnät will push the schedule in ambition to run the line early. But this requires a shorter permit procedure.

– We need to do what we can to meet the demands of society and avoid slowing down development in the region. There is an ambition that the administration will be able to function before 2031, but this depends on the actions of more authorities and actors. We hope that the positive dialogue and cooperation already in place will be able to make the process more efficient, says Susanna Backström, project manager at Skogsäter-Ingelkärr.

Regional cooperation
When the industries and transport sectors in Västra Götaland have to change to a fossil-free future, it means a huge increase in the need for electricity and the demand for more grid capacity. To deal with this, permitting processes for new production and network expansion must be accelerated. Together with the Västra Götaland district and county administration board, Svenska kraftnät has started the ACCEL cooperation yard – Västra Götaland’s Accelerated Electricity Grid Capacity to enable electrification in southwestern Sweden.

– So that the availability of electricity does not stand in the way of electrification, we must increase cooperation when it comes to expanding electricity networks. We need to find more efficient ways to carry out expansion projects, so we can ensure there is enough capacity in the network to enable large-scale plans in the region, says Martin Norlund, program manager for the Svenska kraftnät management project in southwestern Sweden.

Skogsäter-Ingelkärr is part of the total solution
The boost to Skogsäter-Ingelkärr, as well as to Stenkullen, will help increase power output. Svenska kraftnät is also investigating possibilities for interim measures to be able to allocate additional capacity before the new line comes into operation in 2031. Further measures will also be needed in the Svenska kraftnät transmission network as well as in regional and local networks to get the new connections in place.