Delays to Faroese wind farms carry a high economic cost

Delays to planned wind farms are costing Faroese society heavily, the head of the Electricity Regulatory Authority said, according to KVF.

In 2024, then Environment Minister Ingilín Didriksen Strøm presented a plan for five wind turbines in five years. The first, planned for Klivaløkshagi on Sandoy, was expected to be operating in 2025. A company belonging to Johan í Niðristovu won the tender to build the turbines on 21 February 2025, but the project has been held up by obstacles, including objections and appeals.

The Nature Conservation Board required a further year of studies on birdlife in the area before deciding on the plan. It received the report on 16 October and is expected to consider it soon, although no meeting has been scheduled. If the board approves the project, Sands municipality must issue the final building permit. The municipality has already granted a preliminary permit.

Johan í Niðristovu told KVF that the seven turbines cannot be ordered from Vestas until all permits are in place, and there is also a waiting period for the turbines. If everything goes well, they could be operating in autumn 2027. If the process or delivery takes longer, they may not start turning until summer 2028.

The abolition of the so-called amp fee, a payment to landowners and leaseholders for lost grazing when turbines are installed, is also slowing the energy transition. KVF documents cite annual payments of 550,000 kroner at Flatnahagi and 480,000 kroner at Gellingarklett. An amp fee has been agreed with the owners at Klivaløkshagi, but owners in Porkerishagi and Junkarahagi are unwilling to make agreements after the fee was abolished.

Ari Johaneson, head of the Electricity Regulatory Authority, said the new payment rules introduced by the Environment Ministry in June last year set fees far below previous levels, making agreements with landowners harder to reach. He said the delays could add several months to the process, and possibly as much as a year. In his view, the rents used so far are not excessive compared with those in neighbouring countries.