Wind power in cold climates

RISE and Skellefteå Kraft will develop a unique test center for wind power in cold climate in Arjeplog in the north of Sweden. Here, the global wind power industry will be able to test their turbines.

One of the goals of the project "cold climate test site for transition to 100 % renewables", which RISE runs together with Skellefteå Kraft, was to establish a test bed for wind turbines in cold climate. The site for the test bed is Uljabuouda wind farm in Arjeplog municipality in North Bothnia, which is owned by Skellefteå Kraft and where one will find historically documented challenges with cold temperatures and icing. Uljabuouda is one of the first wind farms built above the tree line and is located on a bare mountain 760 meters above sea level with winds of about eight meters per second in average.

- We are happy to take this step. It will strengthen Arjeplog as the arena for tests in cold climates and it will enable the Swedish wind power expansion to use wind turbines that are tested for cold temperatures and icing, an important step in the transition towards 100 % renewable energy in the Nordic countries, says Stefan Ivarsson , RISE.

The Uljabuouda test center will welcome wind power operators from around the world to test their turbines and other components under the cold and icy conditions that exist on the site. The permit allows a total height of up to 330 meters. The ones installed today are 125 meters in tip height.

- It feels fantastic that we now have a go. This will be a world-unique facility where research and development can contribute to the continued expansion of wind power. In this way, our business in Uljabuouda further contributes to the sustainable change that society is currently undergoing, says Stefan Skarp, head of wind power at Skellefteå Kraft.