Press release, March 12, 2024

The Henja solar park in Gislaved is one of Sweden’s largest solar facilities. Photo: Sunna Group AB.

Commissioning of Sweden’s first large-scale solar park on forest land

Sunna Group has commissioned the Henja solar park outside Gislaved – Sweden’s first large-scale solar park on forest land. 

Production of renewable electricity has now started in what is Sweden’s seventh largest solar park, and the first large-scale solar park (over 5 MW) built on forest land. Henja Solar Park outside Gislaved in Jönköping County has an installed capacity of 15.5 megawatts (MWp) and an estimated annual production of 15 gigawatt hours (GWh).

– We are very happy to have reached the milestone of putting our first solar park into operation in such a short time, which shows that our project development business model is paying off. I am particularly proud of our team and close cooperation with Aneo, and also send a big thank you to the landowner”, says Marcus Qviberg, CEO of Sunna Group.

The solar park in Gislaved has been developed by Sunna Group in collaboration with Aneo, a Nordic group for investments in renewable energy, which became a shareholder in Sunna Group in September 2022. In total, the Henja solar park has involved an investment of approximately 100 million SEK.

– We have realized this project in record time. It took only two years from the start of project development to the commissioning of the park, thanks to our skilled partners in Sunna Group and a very time-efficient process for permits and grid connection. We have something to learn from this in Norway, says Kari Skeidsvoll Moe, EVP Renewables Portfolio & Growth at Aneo.

Kari Skeidsvoll Moe, EVP Renewables Portfolio & Growth at Aneo, and Marcus Qviberg, CEO at Sunna Group. Photo: Aneo AS/Sunna Group AB.

Henja Solar Park is also the first large-scale solar park that is not enclosed by fences, to ensure that both animals and outdoor life can continue to move freely within and through the area.

Henja solar park, which during the development period had the project name “Skogsmusen” (Forest Mouse), has been built on an area of 30 hectares of partially fire-damaged forest land, equivalent to about 45 football fields. The construction of the plant has been carried out by Svea Solar and the connection to the electricity grid was provided by the municipal electricity grid company Gislaved Energi.

– We are very happy about the cooperation with Sunna Group and to have reached the completion of the project. This solar park represents a major contribution to the electricity grid for many years to come, says Magnus Bergqvist, sales manager for solar parks at Svea Solar.

An official opening ceremony of the solar park will take place at the beginning of summer.

The Henja solar park is the first large-scale solar park in Sweden without a fence.

Facts: Henja Solpark

Location: Gislaved, Jönköping County (SE3)
Power: 15.5 MWp installed capacity
Size: approximately 30 hectares
Number of panels: Around 23,000
Estimated annual production: 15,000,000 KWh (equivalent to the annual household electricity consumption of more than 3,000 homes).
Start of construction: June 2023
Commissioning: March 2024
Investment: Approximately 100 million SEK

Contact:

Marcus Qviberg, CEO Sunna Group
Phone: +46 73 317 38 76
Email: marcus@sunnagroup.com

About Sunna Group:

Sunna was founded in 2021 with the ambition to increase the amount of solar electricity in the energy system by developing, owning and managing large-scale solar power in the Nordic region. Together with long-term capital partners, Sunna is a sustainable player in the Swedish energy market.
Sunna increases access to green, locally produced solar electricity, which enables faster regional establishment and expansion of companies, as well as support for the electrification of society as a whole. Sunna’s goal is to build 1 gigawatt by 2030 and has now secured permits for a quarter of that capacity. sunnagroup.com

About Aneo:

Aneo is a Nordic renewable energy group headquartered in Trondheim, with energy company TrønderEnergi and investment fund HitecVision as owners. Aneo was established in the fall of 2022, and aims to contribute to power development, electrification, and energy efficiency – making the necessary energy transition profitable for the group’s customers, owners, and society. aneogroup.com