The IKEA Group, in partnership with O2, has made a new investment in windpower in Sweden. 7 new wind turbines will be built at Ramsberget in the province of Dalarna, which brings the number to wind farms purchased by the IKEA Group from O2 to three, with a total of 46 turbines.

Ramsberget is situated a couple of kilometres as the crow flies from Korpfjallet, where IKEA already owns 9 wind turbines built and managed by O2. O2 is also in process of building a 30-turbine wind farm at Glotesvalen in Harjedalen, which will be handed over to IKEA in 2015. The three wind farms will make IKEA self-sufficient in electricity, supplying all IKEA stores as well as other buildings and operations in Sweden.

"The investment will not only create green jobs and contribute to a more carbon-lean society, it will also give us control of our electricity costs. We are circumventing the established electricity market and will be producing our own affordable, renewable electricity. Our customers will feel the benefit of this in our low prices on home furnishings", says Hakan Svedman, CEO of IKEA Sweden.

O2 is responsible for the development, construction and management of 7 turbines at Ramsberget. Construction work will start in July and the turbines are expected to come on-stream in early 2014.

"This is O2's third contract with IKEA. They are continuing to pave the way and act as a role model for companies which are not part of the traditional electricity market. There are huge benefits in businesses owning their own wind power, not least in the form of reduced environmental impact, long-term financial security and independence", says Paul Stormoen, CEO of O2 Vindkompaniet.

The IKEA Group has allocated SEK 13 billion (EUR 1.5 billion) which will be invested in renewable energy up to 2015, primarily in wind and solar power. At present, the IKEA Group has 137 wind turbines under construction or in operation around the world, as well as over 300,000 solar panels. IKEA expects that the new wind turbines at Ramsberget will produce 72 GWh/year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 16,000 households.

Facts about the Ramsberget wind farm A 7-turbine wind farm will be built at Ramsberget, in the Municipality of Malung-Salen in Dalarna. Permission has been granted for the construction of 11 wind turbines at Ramsberget, but due to the limitations of the electricity grid, 7 turbines will be built at present. The wind turbines selected are Vestas V112s, 3 MW, with a tower height of 119 metres and a rotor diameter of 112 metres.

The wind farm is expected to produce 72 GWh/year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 16,000 households. This will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 57,600 tonnes per year (Swedish Energy Agency calculation methods). The estimated average wind speed over the year is 7.7 m/s.

The wind power company, O2, is responsible for the development, construction and management of the wind farm. O2 will start the construction work during the summer, and the plan is to commission the wind farm during the first quarter of 2014. http://www.o2.se/ O