This environmental impact assessment for Kriegers flak ... - Vattenfall

52 ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS
in thickness and get stuck on the shoals forming ice
towers (information from Jan-Eric Lundqvist, SMHI).
Finngrundens west bank has been pointed out as an
area of national interest for wind power by STEM.
8.2.10 Kriegers Flak
Water depth
16-42 meters (in the speciÞ ed area).
Distance to coast
Approximately 30 km. The visual effects on the landscape
are therefore very small and the costs for grid
connection acceptable.
Scope
SufÞ cient, the speciÞ ed area is 5400 hectare.
Seabed conditions
Kriegers Flak is a formation of moraine mud,
layered with up to four layers of stones and blocks that
have formed from the inland ice over various periods.
In some places lenses of older mud deposited before
the last ice age are very compact and hard. The underlying
sedimentary bedrock is ß at and relatively even
and is probably made of limestone. On the site itself,
the moraine mud is mostly found at the surface and
these areas are often covered with stones and boulders.
Within this area there are ridges with four to Þ ve meters
height within a distance of 100 meters. Selected
areas also have a thin layer of gravel and sand that in
some places reach two meters in thickness.
Local wind conditions
The results from the wind studies that have been
conducted vary between 8,7 and 9,6 m/sec. at 100 m
height.
Conditions for grid connection
The possibility to connect to the electrical grid exists
at numerous points in Skåne. The most interesting are
Trelleborg Nord, Arrie, Sege and Barsebäck.
Environmental restrictions
There are no environmental restrictions in the area.
Fishing and navigation
National interest for commercial Þ shing.
8.3 Comparative discussion
Fladen has been rejected due to the conß ict with the
nature and environmental interests. As the Government
has rejected the application for wind power
development in this are,a this also means that Fladen is
an unrealistic alternative.
Lilla Middelgrund is also an inappropriate location
taking into account the big environmental interests.
A wind farm on Stora Middelgrund would probably
mean risks to shipping and navigation. Furthermore the
area within Sweden’s economic zone is not big enough
for a large wind farm development to be proÞ table.
Hoburgs bank, Norra Midsjöbanken and Södra Midsjöbanken
have been rejected due to the conß ict with
the nature and environmental interests. A disadvantage
for Södra Midsjöbanken is also the large distance
to shore and a disadvantage for Norra Midsjöbanken
and Hoburgs bank is the fact that the national defence
forces are against wind power development in these
areas.
Against development of Persgrunden is the intensive
commercial Þ shing activity, the safety risks for
shipping and navigation and the fact that according to
chapter 4, §3 of the EC, there is not supposed to be any
wind power development in the area. Furthermore, the
seabed conditions are problematic.
A disadvantage for the area above-called AB1, is
the large distance to shore and the fact that the area
is in the unique, outer archipelago. For a wind farm
to be Þ nancially proÞ table a lot of turbines with large
capacity are needed, which means a large total height.
Such a development would probably change the areas
unique character in a very distinct way. The problems
of getting the cables through the archipelago are also a
disadvantage.
Finngrunden is the alternative location that Sweden
Offshore Þ nds most interesting. The area has
no environmental protection-worthiness and is at an
acceptable distance from shore. There are also no shipping
lanes running through the area, the water depth is
optimal and the surface with appropriate water depth
is big enough for a large development. Furthermore,
the councils of Gävleborg and Uppsala are positive
towards a wind farm development in the area (verbal
information at a meeting in the autumn of 2003).
The area does, however, have several disadvantages.
Finngrunden is hard hit by drifting ice and the sedi-